


Flash Through Like Lightning

by eri_quin



Series: Flash Through Like Lightning Sequence [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Genderbending, Multi, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-05 08:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4173087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eri_quin/pseuds/eri_quin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fastest Woman Alive. She wasn't fast enough to save her mother then, but she was fast enough to save others now. The lightning chose her for a reason, right? In which Barry Allen is born female and still manages to have the worst luck ever. Fem!Barry AU, doused with Thallen and Barrison.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sun Was Blue

 

Berenice "Barry" Allen was no stranger to romance, even if it was rare for her, but this was…ridiculous.

"Oliver Queen, you and Felicity are totally deflecting," Barry told the billionaire dryly.

The handsome blond gave a slight uplift of his mouth, not enough to qualify for a smile but enough to be  _something_. And it was a very hard-earned 'something' thank you very much, considering how initially aggressive he had been towards her in the beginning.

"What? I can't think you are pretty?" he asked her in amusement. "And if Felicity thinks so too, then we're right and you shouldn't be so misgiven about it."

"You two have feelings for each other," Barry declared. "And you two keep dancing around each other."

"She danced with you and said she liked you at the Queen Consolidation function," Oliver pointed out, taking a sip of his wine.

She gave him a sour look.

"And I like you," Oliver admitted. "You're spunky and determined. You're also funny and witty, intelligent and clear-headed, but still emotional and sweet."

If that didn't get Barry red in the face…

"You get along with the others and fit in well with the group," Oliver mused. "You know…you could stay here. With us." He leaned in closer, speaking in a whisper. "The Arrow could use someone like you. And the others love having you around. What do you say, Barry?"

Barry could only look at him in dumbfounded shock. Never in a million years would she have expected Oliver to offer something like this, and she could admit the offer was tempting.

"And if it's about your job –the one you might lose if you don't get back to Central City, I'm sure I can get you transferred here, or hired if you end up losing your job before I can get that transfer," Oliver went another step further.

While Barry almost felt like gaping, she kept herself together. "I really appreciate the offer, Oliver," she said shyly. "And I would love to accept it any other time. I just don't think I'm ready to leave my family and Central City yet. Maybe…maybe later on, if the offer's still open, I wouldn't mind thinking about it again. But right now, I'm not comfortable staying too far from my family."

He nodded, smiling grimly at her. "Offer's always open to you, Barry. Whenever you feel ready, there's always room for you with the group."

Barry gave him a lighter grin, and the two of them switched topic and continued their dinner.

Not too long after, Oliver personally took her to the train station and dropped her off, making sure she got on safely and waited until the train took off. From there, she dozed off and wondered how she was going to explain this away to Joe…

Unfortunately, the ride wasn't long enough in her eyes, and by the time she was back in Central City, she saw it was starting to become morning with the vestiges of orange light creeping into the cabin she was staying in. She got a call around the time the train finally stopped (just after she finally turned her phone on), and she looked at her phone in dread, seeing who was calling.

"Hey, Joe…" she answered in a halfhearted tone.

"Don't 'Hey, Joe' me, Barry! What were you thinking?" her guardian's voice sounded loudly from the other side.

She winced. "Um…I was looking into a lead…"

"A lead? What in the world are you talking about? You're CSI and there wasn't a case you needed to be on, especially with a detective to partner with!" Ohh, he sounded really aggravated. This was not looking good for her at all.

"Ahaha, it's quite the story actually –"

"Barry," Joe said warningly.

Barry sighed. "Okay, okay. I was looking into a lead about one of those 'impossible phenomena' cases I like looking into. It was important."

"To who?" Joe barked out.

"To me," she pursed her lips. "I needed to look into it. I just…needed to."

Joe let out a breath, still sounding aggravated. "Okay, fine. I won't push it," he reluctantly said. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm leaving the train station," she noticed. "Why?"

"Head straight to the station. You've got work to do, remember? Plus, Singh wants to see you."

Oh, that did not bode well for her. At all.

"I'll tell him I needed you to get something for me," he tried to be helpful, softening a bit. It always was hard to stay upset at Barry.

"It's alright," Barry grumbled. "I got him. Don't worry about it, Joe."

Then again, she felt really confident about that this time.

So when she walked into the station that morning, it was only starting to get busy. She saw Joe, who gave her a look but gestured towards Captain Singh's office with his head. Giving him a feeble smile, Barry braced herself before she stalked forward and entered the Captain's office, knowing she was going to get a lecture.

She wasn't wrong about that. Her ears were still ringing after. She grimaced, though she cowered back at Singh's glower.

"So what do you have to say for yourself, Allen?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she mumbled. But then she straightened up and shook her phone. "Though I  _do_  have a very nice close up of The Arrow that you and your boyfriend can have," she smiled widely.

Singh paused and looked at her in consideration. "You know, bribery's illegal…"

She inwardly smirked smugly. "Bribery? Who said anything about bribery? I mean, I also have great shots of Oliver Queen, since I got to meet him and all..."

Singh rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine. You're off the hook. Just head up to your lab and get straight into work, you felon. Now give me those pictures. Rob'll enjoy them too, probably get me points to make up for working so much," he muttered that last part.

Effectively succeeding, Barry used her phone to send the pictures (minus some selfies she took with Oliver and the gang, and of which others were taken by someone else for her). Singh grinned, satisfied as he shifted through the pictures on his email.

"Excellent, Allen," Singh approved. "Maybe I should send you over to Gotham, see if your luck can get some good shots of Bruce Wayne."

Barry just kept grinning, though secretly she wouldn't mind that. There was a whole lot of strangeness going on over there, though she knew the city was extremely one of (if not the most) dangerous cities in the world. She supposed Gotham was lucky to have Batman, even though she heard that he was even worse than The Arrow…

"By the way, while you were gone, we got a new transfer. Actually, he's been here at least a week and a half, but you're always holed up in your lab," Singh snorted. "Some of the guys mentioned you, so he's been asking about you. Just a heads up, in case you run into him or something."

Barry nodded absentmindedly, waving as she left. She greeted a few of the others, most specifically Detective Chyre, who she knew through Joe.

"Hey, you. Get the third degree from Joe and Singh?" Chyre snickered, though he gave a sympathetic look.

"Joe, sort of but only temporarily," she grinned. "Singh…nah. I buttered him up with photos I shot of The Arrow and Oliver Queen."

Chyre chuckled at that, reaching over and ruffling her hair. "Good on you. I'll let you get to work, while I search for that partner of mine. Your foster dad's been driving me crazy while you were off in Starling City."

She ducked away from his hand, sticking out her tongue. "See you later, Fred! Don't strangle Joe!"

Barry headed towards the stairs, about to head up into her lab, when she was stopped by a very handsome man, blond hair and green-blue eyes that worked well with the nice smile he had on, and who had put his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, Miss. But no civilians are allowed in this area," even though he sounded charming as well, Barry could feel herself bristling.

There was chuckling and snickers around them, and Barry felt her face heat up and was probably very red. She scowled heavily at the stranger, who looked confused at the reactions of his new colleagues.

"I  _do_ work here," Barry glared. "So please move aside. You're blocking the way to my work area."

She pushed him aside, and she admitted she was probably rougher than she should have been, but she was irritated and embarrassed. She was probably stomping up the stairs too.

Barry really hated the fact she had such a baby face.

* * *

She was looking through a microscope when she was interrupted by a knock on her wall. She reluctantly peeled away from the microscope and looked up, seeing the man from earlier and who she could guess was the new transfer that Singh had told her about. Immediately, her lips turned into a frown.

"Yes? Is there something I can do for you?" she asked sharply, causing a wince from the man, that she saw easily.

He held up a familiar cup from a familiar coffee place. "Chocolate mocha latte? I heard it was your favorite."

After observing him intently for a few more tense moments, she held out her hand and twitched her fingers. He strode forward and she had to again admire his handsomely cut face and noted additionally that he had a lean body.

"Hi," he said nervously. "Can we start over? I'm Eddie. Er, Detective Eddie Thawne, newly transferred from Keystone. You're Barry Allen, right?"

Feeling self-conscious now, Barry jerked her head into a nod. "I am. Um, it's nice meeting you, Detective Thawne. Thank you for the drink, but I do have to get back to work now."

"Ah, right," Eddie, as she couldn't help calling him in her head, gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry for interrupting your work. And sorry about earlier! I just hadn't met you until now, and I didn't know what you looked like, despite everyone else telling me about you."

Not knowing that everyone had, Barry could feel herself get embarrassed again. "It's really alright, I suppose. It's my fault too –Captain Singh told me you've been here awhile and I've been holed up in here to really notice or pay attention to anything outside of my lab."

He flashed her another smile that made her blush faintly. "I completely understand, Barry. Allen. Er, Barry Allen. Actually, what do you want me to call you?"

This time her faint blush grew darker and she was sure he could see it. "Barry is fine," she blurted out, before mentally face palming.

What, no! She should've said Allen! Everyone at work called her that, minus Joe and Chyre –Joe was her foster father and Chyre was his partner, who knew him and her for a long time now, so they didn't really count.

But then he gave another one of those lovely smiles of his again, and she shut her brain up.

"Okay, Barry. It was great finally meeting you, though not at first. Well that was my fault, not yours! Not that it wasn't lovely meeting you at all –that meeting was just horrible. But I finally got to see you. Not that I had been expecting to meet you right away –um, yeah. I'm just going to shut up now," he rambled, before cutting himself off. "I'll just leave you to your work now. See you later then, Barry!"

He practically turned tail and ran off. She blinked, but she couldn't help smiling and giggling to herself slightly.

Eddie Thawne was funny. And cute.  _Really_  cute.

* * *

Eddie couldn't help but want to slam his head against something. That was horrible. Completely horrible.

First he embarrassed himself in front of his colleagues. Worse that he had embarrassed himself in front of the pretty girl he saw, who he had also embarrassed. And he'd also embarrassed the notorious Barry Allen, after finding out and figuring who the pretty girl was, and who he had been looking forward to meeting and introducing himself to.

Second, his apology had gone so well…up until he started rambling like an idiot at the end. He was disappointed that his lasting first impression on her had probably been of an idiot.

Truth was, in the time he'd been in Central City, a lot of his co-workers had talked about the young girl who served as a brilliant CSI in their police department. Despite being young, she was extremely intelligent and one of the best, if not their best. She was also, as they had teased, a baby-faced adult. Despite being 24, she still looked as young as somewhere in her teens and didn't look like she worked as a CSI for the police. She was also habitually late to everything, tended to daydream at times, and adored  _Lord of the Rings_  and other geeky paraphernalia. She also had a blog about strange phenomena, things the complete opposite of science and seemingly unlike her, what with her chosen career.

Eddie had looked forward to meeting the unusual but very interesting young woman. Somehow, though, he just never managed to run across her. And then there was today.

He'd been close to the stairs when he caught sight of a pretty brunette heading up them, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and looking too casual to belong there. She looked really young, but he could also see that she had pretty hazel eyes that went well on her oval-shaped face. Despite 'knowing' she was a civilian and that she shouldn't be in that area, he couldn't help but want to approach her for more personal reasons, given that he could admit he was attracted from the get go.

And then he had found out that she was  _the_  Barry Allen he'd looked so forward to meeting (and who he  _didn't_  expected to look like this), who he had just embarrassed in front of the entire station, and had accidentally exacerbated her "fresh face" problem at work. Way to go, Eddie. Good job.

Not only was she someone he'd been impressed and intrigued by through stories alone, he now had a face to match the character who he had heard so much about. And it was a "face" that he admitted was really pretty and all in all, Barry had been someone he was immediately attracted to. To be honest, probably even before he'd come face to face with her.

But then he blew it and now he felt so, so, so stupid –

"How'd it go? Well, by the look on your face, not so well," Chyre shook his head, clapping his shoulder in sympathy.

"Oh my God, I looked like such an idiot, and I made an ass of myself. Again," Eddie started remembering his embarrassing exit and groaned. "She probably thinks I'm just a muscle-head cop."

"A muscle-head, pretty boy cop," Chyre quipped, earning a glare from the blond. "Don't worry about it, kid," he added, grinning. "Barry won't hold it against you, and will probably even forget about it come same time tomorrow."

Eddie hoped so. For some reason, he really felt awful with the thought that she might brush him off and think he was just some pretty, empty-headed cop.

* * *

As the week went by, Eddie came to work, bearing gifts for the young CSI. He got himself a regular coffee, and brought along her usual latte and a blueberry muffin (Singh, actually, was the one to clue him in of what were her favorite pastries and stuff –apparently anything with blueberry is a go). Though she looked confused, she accepted them with a small smile and he managed to initiate some small talk before she and him had to get back to work. Things seem to look up for him, after that disastrous first meeting and first impression of himself.

"So…" he heard Chyre mutter to him from where the man sat at his desk. Eddie's own desk needed some minor organization, so he should get to work on that now… "You, uh, go to see Barry a lot, huh?"

Eddie turned to him in confusion. "Yes, I guess. Is something wrong? I didn't think that would be a problem."

Chyre coughed slightly, glancing at Joe West for some reason. But the African American man was busy shifting through some papers.

"You like her, don't you?" the older man asked him frankly. Eddie's answering face said it all. "Look, you seem like a good kid," Chyre started out. "Just…try not to get too close to Barry. Or at least don't make it obvious to Joe about it."

Eddie furrowed his eyebrows. "What's West have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Chyre told him dryly. "He's just the man who raised her after all."

Eddie's head sharply turned towards Joe, who he watched warily and tried to stamp down on the alarm he began to feel. But, as he glanced at the stairs, Eddie couldn't help but feel this was worth facing the wrath of a cop father.

"Yeah, well, I'm good," Eddie said sincerely. "Barry's a sweet girl. I like her."

Chyre chortled lowly. "Yeah, she's sweet as berries!"

Eddie scrunched up his nose. "Ugh, don't say that. She hates puns on her name."

Chyre gave him a look of amusement, finding it funny how he already knew something like that about Barry.

"Yeah, you'll do alright, kid. Just watch out for Joe and good luck with dealing with him and Barry's obliviousness and social ineptness. You're gonna need it."

Chyre went back to work on the papers he'd been working on, while Eddie couldn't help glancing back at the stairs. He excused himself, ignoring Chyre's quick knowing glance at him, and headed towards them.

If he was being honest, Barry Allen wasn't his usual type. But there was just something about her that drew him to her, and that he seemed to really like. And, well, he found that he liked and connected with her, much more than he ever had with anyone else, including the women he thought of as his type and had dated.

And as he heard the quiet voice of Enya in  _May It Be_ , a smile tugged at his lips as he recognized the familiar soundtrack playing in the background. He entered the lab, not surprised to see Barry humming along as she continued to write on a piece of paper.

"So, I'm guessing you're looking forward to the second  _Hobbit_  movie?"

He nearly laughed as she practically jumped in her seat, though he held it in at her glare. But it melted off her face in favor of a blush, which he liked much better. She tucked in a stray strand of hair behind her ear, though he wished he could have done it.

"I am," she had a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm rereading the book right now for it. Dorky, I know."

"Not at all," Eddie said as he came closer. "Sometimes it's good to refresh your memory or to just enjoy a favorite novel."

Her beaming face made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

"I've only seen the movies, though I should start reading the books if you seem to like them so much that you reread them often. They must be good," he mused aloud. He flashed her a smile. "But we'll have to watch the second  _Hobbit_  film together. If you don't mind, that is."

Barry's small smile turned shy. "That would be nice."

Ah well. Joe West will just have to get used to him being around, because there's no way he could stay away now.

* * *

Eddie was invited along to go with Joe and Chyre to a robbery site. Apparently, as he listened attentively, the teller identified Clyde Mardon and he heard Chyre express his exasperation that the Mardon brothers were back. He'd heard of them, even back in Keystone.

Just then Singh came over and asked them for specifics. Joe was quick to report, but even Eddie had to wince when Singh asked about CSI going over the site. Barry, as he learned, really was tardy-prone and nothing could cure her of it.

"Uh, no," Joe reluctantly answered the Captain, and they saw Singh exasperatedly look up.

"Where's Allen?" he grumbled. The Captain frowned at Joe. "You can't keep covering for her. If she doesn't show up now, we're going to have to carry on this investigation without her –"

"CSI, COMING THROUGH!" they heard a familiar voice holler, and they saw a winded Barry pushing through the crowd and stumble towards them, lugging her CSI kit with her.

"Late.  _Again_ , Allen. What's your excuse this time? It better be better than the last one, considering you said you had car trouble and we all know you don't own a car," Singh gave Barry a glare.

"She was running an errand for me," Joe interrupted, giving Barry a look.

Barry opened her mouth, looking at Joe hesitantly. "Yeeesss," she stretched out, before fumbling into her pockets and pulled out a half-finished chocolate bar. "Um, I had a few bites."

Eddie couldn't help the odd noise he made in his throat. It was so obvious, but thankfully Singh let it go and Joe gestured over to the bordered off tire tracks, which Barry was quick to scurry over to. He watched as Barry lay on her front on the ground, looking over the tracks in concentration. He was curious as to what Barry was doing and thinking, and wanted to see how she worked, especially outside of her lab.

"Getaway car's a Mustang Shelby GT500," Barry stated as fact, getting up from the ground. Eddie's eyebrows flew up, wondering how she knew that and was so sure. "Shelby's have a rear super-wide tire specific to that model, 12 inches with an asymmetrical tread."

Oh, he was impressed. Really impressed. And that she seem to really know her cars was really cool.

"And there's something else," she continued, heading over to them. She headed over to Chyre and was about to pluck out his pen, when Eddie held out his.

"Here, you can use mine," he gave her a quick smile.

She gave a quirky grin before she headed back to the tire tracks and bent down, using the pen to pick at something on the ground and dig it up. She sniffed at it before recoiling slightly.

"Fecal excrement. Animal, I'd guess."

"Good thing she didn't use my pen," Chyre grumbled. "My dad gave it to me before he died."

Eddie just hid his wince, glad it was just a cheap pen that had come in a pack.

* * *

Barry was working hard to process everything, a little bummed that she was probably going to miss the particle accelerator unveiling. But work was work, and she had to do her job.

With good timing, Iris –her best friend and foster sister –came into the lab.

"I'm ready to go, Berrykins! Let's go see the atom smasher smashing!"

"Iris," Barry groaned. "You know I hate the fruit puns on my name." It was why when she had her name shortened, she was sure to make the 'e' be an 'a' so it wouldn't be 'Berry' with an e. "And I have to process some evidence for Joe. Robbery went down, seems urgent that the culprits get caught."

Iris frowned. "I know this really meant a lot to you. Wasn't it your nerdy little dream to see this thing?" she teased Barry.

Barry shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Well, you know –Hey! Those are my fries!"

Iris snickered, sneaking another one into her mouth. "I want to graduate like now. This dissertation is driving me up the wall and ruining my figure."

Barry scoffed. "You look as amazing as ever, Iris."

"What's so great about this particle accelerator anyway?" Iris asked, and regretted it immediately as Barry went off. She just let her go on though. She was cute when she was like this.

Barry though, knew she had geeked out on Iris and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"You need to get laid," Iris raised an eyebrow, and stuffed another fry into her mouth. Barry snatched them away and put it at a distance from the other girl. "Or at least a boyfriend. How about Detective Pretty Boy?"

"Detective Pretty Boy?" Barry echoed in confusion.

"Yeah, that's what Dad calls him. Can't remember his name," Iris shrugged.

Barry thought about it. There was one person she could think fit that description, and not just because she thought he was. Nope. Besides, there were a few other officers who'd said that nickname…

"Er, Eddie? I think Joe might be talking about Detective Eddie Thawne."

Iris wagged her eyebrows. "Eddie, huh? Already on first name basis with the guy?"

"W-what? It doesn't mean anything!" she replied shrilly.

"Mean what? What doesn't mean anything?" Joe asked, entering the room.

"Nothing!" Barry practically screamed, her face turning red as Iris snickered again.

There was a ping! from her computer and Barry went to it, grinning as she got the results. She basically explained what she'd thought and had also found out, and Joe happily let her go with Iris to STAR Labs while he went to go follow the lead she'd provided.

* * *

If Barry was practically vibrating in excitement, it wasn't like she could help it. She was extremely excited being there and getting to see the particle accelerator. And then there was Dr. Wells, whom she idolized and had always wanted to meet –well, she wasn't going to meet him, but she was at least going to see him up close.

"So…talk to me about boys," Iris laughed lightly, linking her arm around one of Barry's. "Like that Detective Pretty Boy you seem so…flustered about."

"I'm not flustered," Barry griped. "Eddie doesn't… _fluster_  me. I mean, he's nice. And sweet. And he likes to bring me my favorite Jitters drink and whatever blueberry confection is there."

"Aw," Iris smiled widely. "My sweet, little Blue Barry is growing up ~"

Barry rolled her eyes, swatting at Iris' head. Iris giggled, dodging but still not letting go of Barry. Still, she smiled a little sadly and leaned into her, causing Barry to get uneasy.

"But seriously. Don't be so afraid, Barry. You should get out there. I just want to see you happy, and I want nothing more than for you to find some _one_  to make you happy and smile. You deserve that," Iris squeezed Barry's arm.

Barry smiled awkwardly, though she felt touched. "Thanks, Iris. You're the best."

"You know I am," the other female winked at her. "Now come on. It's starting!"

And then Barry was watching Dr. Wells come onto the stage, and Barry felt her breath catch in her throat. He was right there, in front of her, and if she had a starstruck expression on her face, she couldn't help it. This was Harrison Wells, someone who she had admired greatly for the longest time. It was just as much a dream come true to be this close to him, as it was being there and seeing the particle accelerator.

"Your expression is so dreamy right now," Iris deadpanned, poking Barry's cheek. "You obviously have a crush on the guy."

"So?" Barry hummed, rather dazed. "It's a celebrity crush. Those are normal. Everyone has those."

Iris snorted, but she wasn't paid any attention to, especially as Dr. Wells began to speak. And he had such a lovely voice too. Very smooth, very articulate…Hell, if Intelligence had a voice, it would be his…

For a moment, his eyes (so wonderfully blue) connected with hers, and she could've sworn she felt a jolt of lightning running through her. And she was so sure he was looking at her, despite the fact it was more probable that his gaze was just directed at the crowd. Yet, somehow it felt magical all the same…

And then some jerk pushed passed Iris and her, taking Iris' bag.

Cursing under her breath, she didn't think twice before running after him, especially after Iris exclaiming in dismay about how her dissertation was in it. So Barry chased after the thief, before realizing that she was missing the rest of Dr. Wells' speech and the event because of this. So alongside her upset for Iris and theft of her belongings…

"How dare you! You ruined my night, you jerk!" she screeched, and pushed her legs to move faster to catch the guy.

Seeing that, the guy also desperately ran faster. At around a corner, unfortunately, Barry ran into him and got a face full of Iris' bag as the thief hit her with it. She didn't let that deter her, still keeping in mind that she missed out on Dr. Wells' speech, and got back up, only for the thief to panic and hit her in the stomach with the bag. He ran off and Barry struggled to get back on her feet, deciding she needed to take a shortcut. He was  _not_  getting away, especially after what he did.

When was she ever going to see Dr. Wells deliver another speech in person ever again?

Meanwhile, the thief had managed to find a dead end, though it was with a fence that he could climb over. Which he did quickly, only to run into a blond cop and he had to concede defeat. Then he heard –

"GO TO HELL, YOU BASTARD!" before he was tackled from the side and landed on the asphalt violently.

Eddie Thawne was the detective arresting him, only to be blindsided by this new turn of events, gaping more so when he realized the attacker was none other than Barry Allen.

"Barry?"

She looked up from the rather vicious glare she was giving the thief, finally noticing him. She blushed and waved slightly, aware that she was still lying somewhat on top of the thief.

"E-Eddie?"

"Fuck you, guys," the thief groaned, trying to lift his head once before giving up.

He was ignored while Eddie and Barry looked at each other awkwardly.

"Haha, funny meeting you here," Barry laughed uncomfortably.

"Is this a dream?" Eddie asked, confused as hell.

"Nope. Hurts too much," the thief interjected grumpily.

Barry shrugged.

"He ruined my night and made me miss Dr. Wells' speech," she harshly patted the guy's chest.

As if that explained everything.

"I'm…sorry," the thief groaned again. "Really, I am."

When Barry glared down at the man again, Eddie thought it was probably time to save the thief before Barry decided to murder him and make Eddie an accomplice by helping her hide the body.

* * *

"You'll get your bag back after, you know, it processes through evidence and all," Barry said as she held a napkin to her nose.

"Thanks, Blue Barry," Iris hugged her. "You really didn't have to. Although…I heard about what happened. Poor guy."

"He deserved it," Barry muttered, pouting a little.

Iris laughed at her pout. "Yeah, sure. Anyway…so  _that's_  Detective Pretty Boy?" She whistled. "Nice. He  _is_  pretty. A little weird with the whole 'counting arrests' thing and being strange about being this proud over catching a mugger, but whatever. Whatever floats your boat. Plus, he was oh so worried about you," Iris grinned like a cat with a canary. "When he heard you were all hurt and all. Rushed to get you a napkin since your nose started to bleed, and wanted to get you ice for your stomach."

Barry grunted. "He's just being nice. As for being all proud and all, Eddie's just overly eager on the job. Especially with the 'counting arrests.' It's a 'one more number for the law, and not another miss.'"

"Aw, already defending him –"

"Hello, Ladies," Eddie came over, smiling warmly. He turned to Barry. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need an EMT or anything?"

Barry's face flushed red, more so since she knew Iris was watching the whole thing and probably grinning weirdly.

"I-I'm fine, Eddie, thanks," Barry stuttered. "I'm just going to go to my lab now! Things to do, evidence to pour over! You know, the usual!"

Barry practically ran away.

At the point where she finally reached her stairs, she looked back and saw Eddie still watching. He gave a smile and a wave, with Iris still next to him and watching him and then her in amusement. Barry waved quickly and rushed away again.

Once in her lab, she got to work on some minor things that weren't really needed to be done so soon. After a while, she noticed there was a storm building. She frowned but ignored it, turning on the TV to have some background noise.

She sighed unhappily when she noticed that the STAR Labs particle accelerator event was on right then, and she wished she was still there and wasn't missing it right now. But then the news was talking about the particle accelerator becoming unstable and she worried, and she looked outside to see a horrible lightshow as the storm grew furious. A split second as the storm raged above her and she tried her best to get to the chains that would close her ceiling windows, and she turned slightly to see the liquid in some of her test tubes float into the air.

The glass above her shattered, lightning came, and she saw nothing but light before she saw nothing at all.

Started 6/14/15 – Completed 6/15/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually hesitate to start a new story, but I really obsessed over The Flash and wanted to write a genderbent Barry. I'm a huge Thallen fan, but Barrison has also somehow taken over my life as well, so plenty of that XD I was also interested in writing a sistership relationship with Barry and Iris, though Iris will be in love with Barry for a bit. Although, I'm not sure who to pair Iris with at the end, so suggestions are welcome. Not sure if I just want her liking girls or making just a "Barry thing". I'll be planning on really changing things up, so I hope everyone enjoys the ride and please review!


	2. Does the Light Beckon?

The loud boom of lightning resounded through the police station. The air felt heavy and saturated with something that made them feel suffocated. Almost all at once, calls were rapidly coming into the station, while those inside were already panicked and scrambling around to get themselves organized.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked Iris, who looked shaken.

"I'm good," she coughed slightly, looking around in fear. "But what's going on?"

"I don't know. Something happened," Eddie frowned.

"I'm going to check on Barry," Iris suddenly said, her voice turning frantic. "Dad went out. We should stick together and wait for him."

"He'll be fine," Eddie tried to reassure her. "I'll come with you."

Together, they hurried up the stairs, and rushed to the lab. Iris couldn't help letting out a scream as she saw the state of the place. But her face turned deathly pale when her scanning eyes found Barry lying limp on top of some broken metal shelves. She stumbled towards her.

"Barry? Barry!"

Eddie felt his breath catch and he felt the shock first before he acknowledged it. He took a dazed step towards them, before shaking his head and running out of the lab and down the stairs.

"Medic! I need a medic!" he yelled. His arm was caught by a frazzled Singh.

"Thawne, what the hell is up with you?"

"She's not breathing," he rushed out to say. "I mean, I don't know if she is –I didn't check! But she's so still and silent and she won't wake up –"

"Thawne, are you talking about Allen?" Singh squeezed his arm painfully, and Eddie focused on the pain to center himself. At his nod, Singh cursed. "I need a few EMTs with me! We're picking up Allen and heading to the hospital!"

That caused a round of concerted whispers and shouts, but Singh glared around the room and roared "Get back to work!"

Singh, with Eddie, led the way up the stairs, to where Iris was still hovering and crying over Barry. Eddie gently took her and moved her aside, allowing the EMTs to put Barry on a gurney. They were rushing back out, when Singh held him behind.

"I need to stay here and keep things in order," Singh looked at him firmly. "You go with Iris and stick with Allen."

Eddie nodded frantically, glad that he would be able to come along and keep watch over her. Taking the distraught Iris in hand, he went to catch up with the EMTs, who were piling into an ambulance. The two of them had to ride in front, while Barry lay in the back and had the medics working on trying to keep her stable. But Eddie couldn't help turning in his seat and watching the back, while Iris sobbed into her hands.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for him, and he felt the air sort of…weigh on him. Something was in the air and it made it hard to breathe. But he also knew that he was having trouble breathing and focusing because of Barry's situation too. He could remember her lying so still, and it almost looked as if she was dea –

He shivered and put the palms of his hands against his eyes, pressing harshly. This was not the time to be losing himself. He needed to be calm and make sure Barry got taken care of, and find out what's wrong and if she was okay.

Lucky enough for him, his time to think was cut short as they reached the hospital quickly. From there, Barry was rushed in. He and Iris tried to go in after her into the emergency room, but they weren't allowed in.

"I'm family!" Iris screamed hysterically, but she was still shut out.

Numbly, he grabbed hold of her and pulled back. To his surprise, she turned and threw herself at him, crying as she and he watched Barry in the room, surrounded by people trying to stabilize her.

"She's going into cardiac arrest!"

"Ready the defibrillators! On three!"

Eddie had just met her…Was she really going to be ripped away from him so quickly?

It wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry, but it's best if you two waited in the waiting room."

Eddie let himself be pushed to the waiting room, consequently dragging Iris with him, who was muttering prayers for her best friend. He carefully sat Iris down and sank into a seat beside her, staring at off-white tiles that had the lights from above glaring off of them. He scuffed his shoe against the bland floor, watching the slight mark that was made.

"Excuse me? If it's alright, can you fill out the patient's information?" the nurse on duty at the ER desk came over and gestured to the clipboard in her hands.

"I-I'm not family," Eddie hesitated. "I don't know if I can really do anything."

She smiled apologetically at him. "We need to have a record of her, so if you can at least do the basic details until a family member comes in to fill in the more important parts, like her insurance. At the moment, if she has a medical record in this hospital, just her name will be enough to bring it up. We can see what medicines she may or may not be allergic to, anything that we might need to know now in order to help her."

He nodded and she handed him the clipboard, and as she left he glanced down and fretted about what to fill out. He did the easy parts, like her name and birthday (which he knew only because it was coming soon and the station had been planning on something for her), her age, hair, eyes…but he couldn't fill in the weight or height or…But this should be enough. Her name and birthday were probably the most important things for them, minus the insurance, which Joe could cover along with the rest.

He glanced at Iris, who had curled up into a ball on her chair and knew he wouldn't be able to get her to talk to him.

"Iris! Thawne!"

Eddie had never been so relieved to hear Joe's voice, and he looked up to see the man rush over.

"Where's Barry? Is she alright?" he asked in a panic, eyes showcasing his fear and anxiety.

Iris finally moved from her seat, throwing herself out of it and at her father, who caught her and held onto her tightly.

"Barry's in there and they're working on her but they won't let me in to stay by her side –" Iris was babbling.

"Sh, sh," Joe caressed his daughter's hair. "Come on. Lead me there. Maybe I can do something."

Iris pulled her father after her, and maybe the two of them would hold onto each other and watch Barry through the ER's glass windows on the door, watch her go into cardiac arrest again, or watch her flat line…

Eddie shivered, glancing down at the form again. These were things he had hoped to find out from Barry herself, not from a piece of paper that he had to fill out and probably through Joe's help.

_It wasn't fair._

* * *

"Sorry I wasn't here sooner. I wanted to be. Sometimes being the…"

The blond closed his eyes, sighing. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

"You would've been better off in Starling, Barry," he pressed his lips firmly closed.

He felt aggravation, sorrow, and worry mix inside of him. His hands clenched tightly, and he wished he could be patrolling the streets and find some nameless thug to take down, try to take his mind off this.

"You were safer there," he ground out painfully. "You wouldn't have gotten caught up in this."

She would have been too far away. There would have been no lightning to have struck her, no particle accelerator to have charged up some super storm.

"Oliver?"

Oliver Queen could feel the tension drain out of him, and he felt so exhausted then. He turned halfway in his seat, watching his ever faithful friend peek her head into the hospital room. His fellow blonde look just as worried at him, though he knew that some of the worry was on his part as well. He gave a small smile at her.

"Give me a few, Felicity, and then she's all yours."

Felicity gave him a bright smile, before she looked at the comatose Barry and her smile dimmed. She left and then it was just him and Barry once more.

"Felicity's been worried about you too," Oliver gained a faint smile. "She's been visiting for the past five weeks. She hasn't stopped harassing me to visit you too, until I finally came with her today. Not that I didn't want to visit you…But I find it hard to see the people I care about hurt and in pain, especially when I'm helpless to do anything for them."

He stood up, leaning over her. He grabbed one of her hands and held it up to his lips, kissing it delicately.

"Wake up soon, Barry. Starling's waiting for you," Oliver whispered.

He watched her for a few more moments, before reluctantly straightening up and heading for the door. At the door, he turned slightly and had one more look at her, before he turned and left, knowing that he needed to go or else he'd be tempted to stay and never leave her bedside.

He passed by Felicity and they awkwardly stood beside each other.

"Guess it's your turn now, huh?" Oliver shoved his hands into his pockets.

Felicity gave him a watery smile. "Yeah. See you in a bit."

She continued on passed him, walking into the room and pausing right at the door as she caught sight of the too still Barry. She sniffled slightly, before she determinedly walked closer and took Oliver's vacated seat. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Instead, she reached forward and grabbed Barry's hand, clutching it against her face as she cried against it.

"Please wake up, Barry. We all miss you and we're waiting for you."

* * *

She looked…fragile. He wasn't accustomed to seeing her like this.

In the façade of Harrison Wells, he stood watch over the silent and still figure of his nemesis. Though 'standing' was currently just a metaphor, given he was now pretending to be wheelchair-bound. And…

Was she still his nemesis?

His memories were clouded and unclear, incomplete at times. There were flashes of the other timelines that crowded into his head, memories that collided together and made it hard to get things straight.

That was the trouble with time travel. Time can be such a harsh mistress. He knew there were "absolutes," things that must happen. He also knew that there was temporal disorientation after traveling, and that it took time to completely remember things that he'd done in other timelines. The memories came to him in batches, sometimes just singular memories. And there were times where he was in perfect clarity, remembering every single bit for that moment and for whatever reason, before his thoughts and memories jumbled again and he forgot things and little details that had happened right then.

" _I hear you callin and it's needles and pins (and pins)  
_ _I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name  
_ _Don't wanna touch you, but you're under my skin (deep in)  
_ _I wanna kiss you, but your lips are venomous poison ~"_

His lips curled into a self-deprecating smirk, glancing out the slightly ajar door, where the janitor hummed to the Alice Cooper song he was blasting through his earbuds.

"'I don't wanna break these chains,'" he murmured along, before he narrowed his eyes at the young woman lying on the bed. "You have always kept me chained to you. But I haven't really wanted to break free from them either."

He also knew as fact, no matter what, that he was in love with her. No matter what timeline he went to (even as convoluted as his memories were) and no matter whatever version of him existed, he was and would always be in love with Barry Allen.

It was simply impossible for him to tear away from her, and he knew that he had loved her longer than he'd hated her.

"Home," he muttered. That was his goal. To return to his home and time. He had to focus on that.

_She was gone. How? Why? Why did she use the Speed Force like that? Now she'd phased out of –_

"Home," he said again firmly. "I need to return home."

_He needed to go back. He had to stop this stupidity –_

"Damn memories," he clenched his hands. He couldn't even make sense of them or even remember the entire events. He wasn't even sure what exactly he was remembering.

Harrison looked away from her, eyes alighting on the single rose by her bedside, standing out among the multitude of other flowers and gifts. He furrowed his eyebrows.

That rose came from, surprisingly, a man named Eddie Thawne…his ancestor. He didn't understand the sudden interest from him, given that of what he could remember, Eddie had never caught the interest of The Flash, nor were there any mentions of him being close to her anywhere. And of what he remembered, Eddie had married some unknown woman and the line passed down, eventually creating Harrison. And of what he was sure was the most recent timeline he'd gone to, and of which the memories were mostly complete in his head, Eddie had been interested in Iris West – _not_ Barry Allen.

These new turn of events made something in his stomach clench, and he glared at the rose. He had the urge to grab it and tear it into pieces, burn it into cinders and throw the remains into the trash, and pretend it never existed.

If there was something he needed to do in this timeline, he would damn make sure that his ancestor would never be with her. That was never going to happen.

_Ever._

He scoffed to himself, both at his own thoughts and mockingly towards his ancestor. He didn't know what had changed in the current timeline he was stuck in. Then again, a quick review of his memories of that timeline showed too many tiny details that showed Eddie might have been a little interested in Barry even then. It was fruitless however.

What was also fact and something he did remember, Barry Allen had never ended up with anyone. Rumors of Hal Jordan, Leonard Snart, and even The Batman on occasion, were nothing and always amounted to nothing. She had lived her life without anyone attached to her romantically, even if there were close companions. To be honest, he had never known or understood why. It was one of the few things he hadn't known about her…

Reaching, he took her hand and rubbed his thumb against her wrist. The beat of her pulse throbbed through to his skin, and he remembered the almost electric connection that had resulted on that night, when she stared up at him on the stage, gazing with wide, adoring eyes. Right now, he could feel the power thrumming in her veins, but that night her power and the Speed Force didn't factor in when they connected eyes.

No, none of that was needed when it came to the two of them. Their connection transcended time after all, and the Speed Force just makes it stronger.

His fingers ran across her hospital bracelet and he idly tugged at it.

"Berenice," he murmured. Meaning 'bringing victory/to bring victory.' "Barry, bring me  _my_  victory."

He would be the victor this time. Maybe then he'd free himself from the chains binding him to her.

* * *

Eddie sighed, bored with work. It was a slow day and it was made longer by the fact that he'd taken on Joe's shift. Actually, he was doing his best to take as many of the man's shifts as he could, so that Joe would be able to spend as much time by Barry's bedside as was possible. The poor guy lost his partner, and then his foster daughter was struck by lightning and was in a coma…

On that thought, he wished he could visit her more often. When time permitted and the visiting hours weren't over, he'd come by and talk to her, tell her about his day. In fact, Eddie was hoping he'd have time to visit her after work today. Maybe he could tell how the day went by way too slowly, and he had to preoccupy himself by gorging himself on the carrot cake he'd gotten on his lunch break.

"It was a very good carrot cake, Barry," he muttered. "You have to understand. It was so delicious, I had to let myself go."

He shook his head, and let his eyes drift to the paperwork on his desk. Not urgent. He might as well finish it though. There wasn't anything else to do.

After that, though, he still had nothing to do. He still had a few hours on the clock and he was finding something to take his attention. He then remembered Barry's blog, and decided to take another look at it. The first time, he had just overheard others talking about it and had gotten curious. So he'd taken a peek and was surprised by the content, since the blog had been all about weird cases and definitely opposite Barry's calling in the science field. This time, he decided to take a more in depth look, and actually read some of the articles Barry had written.

Time had passed after that, and Eddie found himself engrossed. Barry was a good writer. She had a way with words and was witty and funny while she talked about all the weird cases she found, and even went into the science aspect of each of them, making them all sound rather plausible. He admitted he was starting to become a believer on many of them.

"Are you reading Allen's blog?" Singh practically snuck up on him.

Eddie jumped in his seat, trying not to look guilty in front of his boss. "Um…no?"

The Captain rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not blind."

Eddie coughed and shrugged, not bothering to deny it anymore.

"I don't believe any of it," Singh said bluntly. "But Allen's a good writer. It's entertaining at least. If you want to read it, no one's stopping you…even if you are on the clock. I do recommend her CSI book though."

Eddie perked up. "CSI book?"

"It's not a fictional crime book," Singh said with his usual dry tone. "She's good at what she does, and you've seen her. One day, she decided to write a textbook on proper CSI work. It just so happens her usual quirkiness bleeds onto the pages."

"It's still selling?" the blond asked hopefully.

"Sure is, but she's got a copy in her shelves. Her lab's been cleaned up and put back to order, so you can probably go up and see for yourself."

Eddie nodded and waited for the Captain to leave him, before he decided to head up. Her lab looked as if nothing had happened, and it was kind of eerie. He ignored the feeling, and searched out her bookshelf, where he found the book easily. Taking a quick read of a part in the first chapter, Eddie laughed lightly. Singh was right –the book was screaming Barry's personality all the way, and her quirks and humor was present, even from the tiny bit he'd read.

Closing the book fondly, he was just about to head out when he saw her copy of  _The Hobbit_. He grabbed it, promising to tell Barry that he was going to borrow it when he came to see her after work.

* * *

Singh took a bite of his donut, enjoying the softness of the bread and the sugariness of the frosting. He moaned aloud.

"This is so good," he pointed at his donut. "You are so missing out."

Unfortunately, Barry was still out and not responding. He scoffed.

"Just you wait. I'll bring in a blueberry donut next, and you'll snap out of that stupid coma." He took another bite. "But damn this is good. My boyfriend's on this  _weird_  health kick right now, and I can't eat anything good in the house. I have to splurge at work and here. You better keep it mum, Allen!"

He finished up the donut, before glaring at her.

"I know about you in Starling. I know," his glare worsened. Then he pouted slightly, though he would refuse to admit it to anyone. "Damn Quentin. I know that jerk was trying to steal you from me. Well, Starling City can find their own genius CSI! You're staying in Central City, even if I have to lock you in your lab. Or, you know. Have the guys race over to Starling and beg you to stay with us. 'Cause you know they will. Joe would probably be busy having an aneurism. And that's nothing on Thawne. Poor kid's smitten. He's totally obvious that he's sweet on you."

Ugh. Remembering that made his blood boil again. Stupid Officer Demoted Quentin Lance was working on a case, and Barry just  _had_  to be on the scene. Consequently, they needed CSI there and they were still on the way, so she  _had_  to volunteer her services. And she also just  _had_  to end up impressing Officer Lance, who just about was working like a dog to recruit her (while working behind the scenes to get her transferred on the sly). Singh completely put his foot down and put a stop to that shit.

Quentin Lance can go find his own quirky genius.

"You know, if you wanted a transfer…Nah, I still wouldn't grant it," he grinned at her unconscious figure. "Face it, you're stuck with us Central City dorks."

He reached down and rummaged in his bag for the bottle of soda he brought along. He opened it and took a gulp.

"So much better than aloe water," he sighed. "You should taste that. It's got a weird aftertaste. Look into that for your next weird case, eh?"

His fingers tapped against his leg. "Workload for the CSI staff's gotten heavy. You always did such a good job and got things organized and quickly finished, even though you're just an assistant. You act more like you head the department. Even the seniors listen to you and follow your lead. That's why I always want you on the crime scene and want you to be the one to look it over and tell me what happens, late or not. I trust your judgements and what you say. You are just a forensic assistant, remember? And yet you're the one always called onto the scene and looked to find out what happened, and the one counted on to figure out everything. Hell, Allen…that big old semi-lab upstairs is  _your_  lab. Everyone calls it that and everyone knows it as that –the others get some other room to work in, while you work in your own space."

Singh tossed his soda back into his bag, leaning back into his chair and looking at his –even though he enjoyed picking on her –favorite lab geek.

"You want a raise? A promotion? What the hell you want to get you to wake the damn hell up, Allen?" He gave a frustrated growl. "Dumb girl. We were going to give you a surprise birthday party and everything, and now you're going to miss it. Well, we're not going to cancel it, so you're just going to have to settle for being at the station in spirit."

Everyone really had been excited for it too. There had been a lot of planning involved, and her fellow CSI had been eagerly planning and devising some stuff. There'd been some suspicious noises coming from their own lab back in the birthday planning stages…

"Captain Singh, I wasn't expecting to see you here. But since I've caught you, there's some things I'd like to discuss with you."

He turned and eyed the wheelchair-bound Dr. Wells, who quirked his lips a little up, though he still had a muted attitude that belied the man's true tired feelings.

"What do you want?" he asked shortly. Wells wasn't a popular man at the moment, given his role in what had happened to the particle accelerator and the subsequent explosion. Still, he wasn't going to just blow the man off, especially if he ended up having something important to say.

Dr. Wells smiled grimly. "The hospital isn't…equipped to deal with the likes of Barry Allen."

Singh frowned and was about to refute that when Dr. Wells continued.

"You see, I know you've heard she's been frequently going into 'cardiac arrest.' The truth is, I've realized that her heart is simply beating too fast to even register, which is causing everyone to believe she's going into cardiac arrest."

Singh tensed, not sure what to hear of that revelation. If that was true, then what the hell could be done to help her?

"Captain Singh, I need you to know this. To  _understand_  this."

Uneasily, Singh felt the seriousness of the situation and wondered why it was so important for him to know all this.

* * *

Joe was exhausted. He was so emotionally drained, there were days he didn't want to get up from his bed. Only Iris had managed to get him to get up and do something. His sweet daughter was strong for him, when he knew that she was also having trouble and trying to keep herself together too. After all, Barry was her best friend and practically a sister. Though sometimes, he got the feeling his daughter felt something else…

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to let his headache get any worse than it already was. He really was stressed out. So much stress and not enough rest and sleep was taking its toll, and he was hoping that he wouldn't end up getting sick. He could just picture Barry now. She would be lecturing him and being such a mother hen. Out of the three of them, Barry was the one who worried the most and always took care to make sure he and Iris took care of themselves.

Now he was standing outside her hospital room, and praying to God that she was being taken the best of care of there. He took a deep breath and entered the room, bracing himself for what he was going to see for the nth time. However, this time he was taken aback.

Dr. Wells was sitting in his wheelchair by Barry's side, gazing at her in contemplation. But the moment the door opened, he looked up and locked eyes with Joe.

"Mr. West –"

" _Detective_ West," Joe corrected stiffly.

"Detective West," Dr. Wells acknowledged. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I must ask you something very important."

Joe shifted in agitation, but nodded quickly.

"Your foster daughter has been having frequent cardiopulmonary arrests, in which the doctors perceive her heart stops working at these times. However, I've deduced that what is really happening is that her heart is actually beating too fast to be registered by the hospital's monitors." He waited until he got Joe's signal that he understood, though clearly Joe wasn't understanding how or why this was happening. "I would request that you transfer her into my care, where I have the equipment to correctly and accurately monitor her vitals and help. She would also receive individual care, where she can be fully focused on."

Joe's immediate reaction was to refuse vehemently. But just then, the door behind him opened and of all people, Singh walked in. He stared at the Captain in surprise.

"Joe," Singh greeted solemnly. "Look, before you refuse Dr. Wells, think about it closely. And think of what's best for  _her_." And he gestured over to Barry's comatose body, and Joe almost crumpled in on himself.

He looked at Singh, at Dr. Wells, and then at Barry, before reluctantly nodding.

Joe hoped like hell he was making the right decision and that Barry would be in better, capable hands.

Started 6/21/15 – Completed 6/22/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Wow, what a response. I'm really excited for this, so I hope to continue quickly and that everyone keeps enjoying! I think just one more chapter with the others before Barry wakes up and we get into the show parts of the story, eh?
> 
> 1\. Time Travel: I love time travel, so expect to see the convoluted mess XD I do promise that I have been working on a timeline(s) outline, so it'll be clearer, but that should be revealed more later, once Eobard's memories are clearer.
> 
> 2\. Iris: At this point, I'd like to think Iris is into guys but has a "Barry thing." But once she's over (or sort of over) her infatuation with Barry (here's to acknowledging canon in some form XD), then I was thinking she could get together with…someone. I don't know, maybe Tommy Merlyn from Arrow (minus the whole you know what happened to him), or Mason Bridge. Suggestions are welcomed.
> 
> 3\. Poison by Alice Cooper: As always, I do keep a playlist for any story I write, so eventually I'll post one for this story soon. However…this song had to come in and I had to write it into the story and it just screams Eobarry/Barrison at me XD Actually, a lot of songs I keep recently bumping into on my playlist screams them. I'm going to end up creating a soundtrack one of these days…


	3. The May Queen's Slumber

Eddie stared at her, trying not to look disbelieving.

"Could you repeat that?"

Iris gave him a feeble smile. "You've been the best, Detective Thawne. Taking a lot of my dad's shifts so he could be there for Barry, and everything else…I was hoping to thank you over coffee?"

It was just a thank you. Yes, a thank you. It wasn't like she was asking him out on a date or anything…right?

Oh God, what if it was? He couldn't just say no –Joe was his new partner and was having a hard time, and so was she –

He could just go and pretend it wasn't a date. And then on it, he could thank her for the coffee and that she really didn't need to thank him, and then let her down gently. Yes, that was what he'll do. He'd feel like a heel to both her and Joe if he acted like an asshole when things were going all shitty on them. He also just knew that it would upset Barry if he were to somehow upset and offend Iris. Which was the crux of the problem.

He'd wanted to go out with Barry. And two months and a week into her coma, and Eddie's feelings still hadn't changed on that matter.

Still, he'd hesitatingly agreed. Which led to him wearing some casual clothes and sitting across from Iris at a table in Jitters. She was dressed nicely and he admitted Iris fit the bill for the girls he usually dated, and was much more his type. But despite all that, his interest remained with the girl that was currently being cared for now in STAR Labs.

"Thanks for coming, Detective Thawne," she smiled at him.

He gave a small grin. "Of course. And please, just Eddie. You're Joe's daughter, and as his partner, I'm sure we'll see each other a lot. It'll probably get old calling me Detective Thawne all the time."

Iris waved him off, still smiling. "Probably, so Eddie it is. How's living and working in Central City? I think Dad and…" her smile faltered a little, "Barry mentioned you used to be in Keystone?"

Eddie ignored her slip. "Yeah, I was. Central City's about the same, and is close enough to Keystone that the changes aren't too big. I've finally settled in with the guys at the station, so I'm not just the 'new guy' anymore."

Iris nodded understandingly, and soon enough they began to talk in earnest and get along quite well.

"So…how'd you meet Barry?" Iris asked as she took a sip of her drink, since their orders had finally come.

Eddie smiled brightly, remembering. "Oh, it was such a horrible meeting."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he sheepishly elaborated.

"The guys tend to talk about her a lot at the station, and since my first day there, I'd already heard a lot about Barry that day alone. I was curious and wanted to meet her, but somehow I just hadn't been able to. Not until she came back from…a trip somewhere? I don't know where or what for, but I just know she'd gone missing from Central for about two weeks with a small note to Joe and Captain Singh about where and why she was gone."

Iris chuckled. "She may be my sister in all but blood, but she does have her quirks."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Anyway, she was finally back and in the station, and since I didn't know what she looked like…when I saw a pretty girl heading towards the stairs for the upper levels, I went to go stop her. Unfortunately, I didn't know that was Barry and I think I pissed her off and made her whole 'baby face' problem at work worse."

"She definitely can't stand the baby face thing," Iris laughed. Then a look came over her face and she was watching Eddie carefully. "So you think Barry's pretty, huh?"

Eddie froze. Was this a trick question? Was he supposed to admit he did? Was he supposed to compliment Iris too? Why was she asking? Was she offended somehow? Her face said the comment bothered her. Oh damn, maybe she really was interested in him.

He swallowed nervously. "She is," he decided to be honest. "But you are too. I'm guessing Joe probably has a hard time keeping all the boys away from the two of you," but he also decided to go the joking route was the safe thing to do.

Iris' face suddenly shuttered, and she took a long gulp from her drink. Eddie's nerves were suddenly lit on fire and he felt like he'd stepped into a minefield.

"She can be such a dork too, right?" Iris smiled, but there was something off.

"She can," Eddie said slowly. "But it's funny and cute. Whenever I come to bring her drink and blueberry treat, she always makes me laugh."

"You laugh at her?" Iris asked in amusement. Still, something about it felt weird to Eddie.

"Well, I think she's funny," Eddie said uncomfortably. "Her reactions and her rants, and when she rambles…it's cute."

And Iris' eyes narrowed at him and suddenly it all clicked together for Eddie. Iris wasn't interested in him or was feeling jealous. This was an  _interrogation_.

"You should've been a cop," Eddie eyed her guardedly.

She smirked slightly. "Ah, well, I wanted to be, but Dad and I had a huge blow up over it, and I ended up going into journalism, at Barry's suggestion. So caught on, hm?"

"Why the questioning though?" Eddie frowned.

Iris sat back in her seat. "Barry doesn't get a whole lot of guys becoming interested in her. Beyond the guys at the station being overprotective idiots, she doesn't really let herself open up too much. There's also that there's always been a history of guys seeing the two of us, and usually going after me, especially after they see Barry's quirky personality," she grimaced at this. "The thing is, Barry's usually the strong one. The one that keeps it in, pulls herself together, and moves on and not let things bother her. When Dad and I have problems, she's the one who takes care of us and makes sure we get through them. We get emotional, she's there.

"But oppositely, when she has problems, she keeps it in and doesn't want to bother us with them. She gets it in her head that she doesn't want to be a burden, especially after us taking her in and doing everything for her. But I know that since she bottles it in, everything lingers and festers, and she's a lot more vulnerable than one would think. I may be more outgoing with my emotions, cry more easily when the occasion comes, but with her help and because I can let things out, I can move on more easily. For Barry, she holds it all in and it just keeps hurting her."

Iris shrugged, giving a sad smile. "I just wanted to make sure that you weren't a jerk and that you were really serious about her. Or at least not just interested, but serious enough to be in there for the long haul, even if it means waiting out her coma…however long that is. Though I wouldn't blame you, if that is the reason you might want to back off. I just…I just want to make sure Barry's not going to get hurt. She's gotten hurt enough."

After her speech, Eddie was floored. But he understood and knew that Barry was really important to the other.

"I know and I appreciate you looking out for her," Eddie told her sincerely. "I'm honestly interested in your sister. For the short amount of time we've known each other, we've gotten to become good friends and really close already. It might be asking a bit much, but I feel like I don't and can't see anyone else like that, even if her coma lasts for so long."

They traded understanding looks at that and the mood suddenly lightened.

"To be fair, I really did want to thank you over coffee."

Eddie chuckled at that.

* * *

Harrison had to thank Cisco (sarcastically of course) for the repeated play of Lady Gaga's  _Poker Face_. But as soon as they'd left, since he'd given them the rest of the day off, he'd turned it off and looked to play something else, eyes skimming for something he could stand to play. His lips quirked in a half grin as he found the selection of Beatles music in their system, and thanked (sincerely) Ronnie's collection.  _I Am the Walrus_  began to play and he gave a long look at Barry's comatose body.

"You always did like them," he muttered.

" _You know you like them! They're classic, Eobard. Admit it! The 25_ _th_ _century sucked."_

He grabbed the hot and newly made blueberry pie and cut a slice, taking his plate and sitting on the foot of her bed.

"You always did like blueberries too," he snorted, leaning closer and holding the plate closer to her face, wondering if the smell of the slice of pie could reach her in her dreams. He could certainly smell it.

_The scent of blueberries always coated the air whenever she was around him. It wasn't a bad smell. It was sweet without being too sweet. Even as she quirked that stupid grin at him, he couldn't help grinning back._

" _Need a charge, Eobard?" she held up her hand._

_His hand twitched, before he was lifting it up slowly and placing it against hers. The initial shock was always an exhilarated feeling, and the process euphoric._

Harrison had started eating his slice of pie without realizing it, memories from the past –future really –invading his thoughts, now more than ever since Barry's presence was now ever present.

"I'm starting to remember my original timeline too," he began conversationally, as if she was listening and awake to hear him. "I remember how much I worshipped you then. So much so that I did everything I could until I could travel back in time to meet you. Things went horribly wrong then. Somehow or other, I ended up hating you. The next two timelines I ended up tormenting you. But the third is murky…the others not yet existent in my head."

He placed his finished plate to the side and leaned on his elbows as he watched her face.

"Days like today, memories like those…they make it hard to remember I hate you," but his voice, for once, held not even a hint of that hate.

He sighed and trekked to his chair, sitting on it and went to the video feed, fixing it so that none of his walking about would be on film. Then he lay back and closed his eyes. If he fell asleep to the rhythmic sounds of her even breaths, then it was no one's business but his own.

_He tutted. "I think Batman's gotten sloppy."_

_She snorted. "Don't let him hear you say that."_

_Eobard lazily leaned back against a wall and smirked in self-satisfaction. "Why? The Big Bad Bat gonna get me?"_

" _I think he'll bury you alive," Barry said wryly._

" _If he can catch me."_

" _He'll just find out where you'll be next and spring a trap. Don't get cocky!"_

_Eobard couldn't help the cocky grin at that. "So I can count on my_ _**hero** _ _to save me then?"_

" _Ugh, I'm going to drop you into the ocean."_

" _I can walk on water."_

" _Don't expect me to call you Jesus," she rolled her eyes. "Now shut up and let's get back to the others."_

_He suddenly had the strange urge to grab her, so he did. Grabbing her from behind and catching her by surprise, he smirked against her neck._

" _Give me a whisper and give me a sigh. Give me a kiss before you tell me goodbye," he crooned mockingly as he swayed with her, before dodging a smack to his head._

_She snickered as she gave him a look._

" _Your singing Guns N' Roses is saying something, Eobard. Something wrong?"_

"… _No. At least I don't think so. Just have a feeling," he shrugged._

" _Good or bad?" she asked curiously._

" _Good," he decided after a while. "I'm going to go with good."_

_Barry gave him a genuine smile and the two of them sped back._

_24 hours later, Eobard watched from the Watchtower as President Luthor put a bullet into Barry Allen at point-blank range._

Harrison woke up groggily, glancing at the time. It was evening now, and he should get around to eating dinner. He did something about that, switched her IV bag, and then –of all things –made a cup of hot chocolate.

He was feeling nostalgic.

"Can you smell this as well?" he held the cup closer to her face for a moment. "Besides blueberries, you always did have an incredible weakness for chocolate. I know I contemplated, semi-jokingly, trying to defeat you with an abundance of chocolate."

He held his cup in a toast to her.

"Don't you cry tonight," he took one sip and set the cup by her, the song he remembered before her death in that timeline recycling in his head. "There's a heaven above you, baby."

Harrison ran a hand through his hair, making it wilder than it already was.

"You've corrupted me with everything about you," he said, his voice a blend of tiredness and bitterness. As usual, there was no answer.

He glanced at her irritably, before sneering at himself. The monitor skipped a beat and he looked hurriedly at her, feeling his own heart skip. But she didn't wake and he hated himself for his reaction.

Harrison bent over her and kissed her head, lips lingering and eyes closing as he tried to grasp onto lingering images from another time.

"Don't you ever cry," he muttered, and he wished everything he liked and was, wasn't an extension of her –music and food included.

Everything that made up him revolved around her.

Harrison wondered if he wasn't an addict when it came to her.

* * *

The next day came quickly and Harrison was back to work in his wheelchair. Caitlin and Cisco, those loyal two, were back in the lab with him and steadily working on finding the metahumans that were running around after the particle accelerator explosion.

He saw Caitlin switch up Barry's IV bag, and idly twirled a pen between his fingers. Just then, from outside, there was a buzz and he looked to see who it was.

"Hello? I'm here to visit Barry?"

He almost let his lips curl into a sneer. Eddie Thawne…his ancestor. He hadn't seen him visit Barry since she'd been moved to STAR Labs from the hospital.

"I'll let him in, Dr. Wells," Cisco said, and he reluctantly nodded.

Harrison watched as Eddie was led into the room, where his ancestor's eyes zeroed in on Barry. He kept observing subtly, letting Caitlin and Cisco continue their work quietly. He tensed as he saw Eddie hesitantly reach out and grab Barry's hand.

"Hey," he heard the man whisper. "Sorry I haven't been around. You were moved here and I wasn't sure if I should come. Iris told me I could, so I decided that it was probably alright then."

He saw Eddie shift and grab something from a bag, and he saw it was a book. Eddie opened it from the beginning.

"I thought it would be nice if I read your book to you, although I hope you don't mind if I start from the beginning, even though I saw you'd bookmarked it at a place. I haven't read it before, so now's as good a time as any, right?"

And as Eddie began to quietly read  _The Hobbit_ to her, Harrison found himself burning in rage.

What the hell did he know about her? He didn't know Barry Allen the way Harrison did.

"Dr. Wells, are you alright?" he heard Caitlin ask him.

He blinked and offered her a soft smile. "I'm fine, Caitlin, thank you."

He then noticed the grip on his pen looked rigid, and unknown to most, was about to break it in half. He forced his fingers to relax and he gently put the pen down in front of him. He glanced at his ancestor balefully.

It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

"It's the big day, eh?" Officer Calum Wiere greeted Eddie.

He smiled at him in confusion. "Big day?"

Wiere gave him a disbelieving look. "Really? And you're supposed to be smitten with the girl."

"What?"

But Officer Anderson answered him.

"Come on, Thawne! It's your sweetheart's birthday," Anderson teased him. "Barry turns twenty four today."

Realization hit him, though he was still slightly confused. "Twenty four? I thought she was twenty four?"

"Nah, she's just been telling everyone that since her birthday had been coming up anyway. Doyle! That makes it four years since she first was hired, huh?"

"Baby face at twenty, baby face at twenty four," Doyle chortled.

"She was hired at twenty?" Eddie asked the guys in surprise.

Officer Gibbons entered the conversation. "Yeah. Joe was all proud about it too. Graduated high school at sixteen, spent the next four years getting her masters in two science fields, and I think she minored in criminal justice. After that, she graduated at twenty and Singh hired her here. Been working with us ever since."

"I got the fireworks!" one of the CSI yelled as he ran passed, holding said fireworks.

"Fireworks?" Eddie said in alarm.

"They do know the party is going to be here indoors?" Anderson asked incredulously.

"I don't think they care," Wiere said dryly.

"We got a new hire," one of the other officers said as he walked passed. "CSI department."

Eddie shifted unhappily, but understood. With Barry gone, the CSI department had really gotten their hands full with things and needed an addition to help lessen the load.

"You guys know about this? Or who the new hire is?" Eddie asked.

"Nah, first time I've heard about it," Doyle admitted.

Gibbons shrugged. "I don't know who he is, but I think his name is…Malcolm? Malcolm something?"

Eddie furrowed his eyebrows, getting a bad feeling and thinking that name sounded familiar.

* * *

Singh eyed the new hire. Neatly combed brown hair, ordinary brown eyes, a clean cut look…this new guy seemed like he was a perfect hire. But there seemed something off about him and something off about his smile. He made Singh uneasy somehow.

"So…Malcolm…"

The brunet smiled widely. "Malcolm, sir. Malcolm… _Thorn_."

"Well, Thorn. Welcome to the CCPD. Right now, after the incapacitation of the main forensic scientist, the CSI department's been having trouble with the workload getting heavy. You'll be working with the others and helping out where you're needed."

"Are you talking about Barry Allen? I heard about her from some of the others. Isn't she just an assistant though?" Singh could feel the man's smile be off. He just knew it.

"Yeah, but she's damn good at her job and a title's just a title around here," Singh frowned at the other.

"Yes, of course. I understand, sir. When do I start?"

"If you can, start today," Singh told him. "Just a head's up that the station is celebrating Allen's birthday, even if she is in the coma. She's practically family, so everyone's been working on this for a while."

"Understood, Captain Singh. Shall I head up and meet the others now?" Thorn still had that strange smile.

Singh hid his twitch. "Good idea. You go on and do that, get settled in quickly. Report to Gordon –he's the Head of the CSI department."

Thorn nodded and stood up, and Singh dismissed him. Honestly, he had a bad feeling about the guy, but they really needed someone to help out with the CSI department and Thorn had good credentials. Not as good as Barry's, but much better than the other prospects and was good enough.

Still, he wished Barry would wake the hell up already.

* * *

Eddie was helping around, walking through the station, when he caught sight of someone very familiar and he felt uneasiness grip him.

"Mal, that you?" he rushed over.

His brother gave him a sneering smile. "Eddie, you're here. What a coincidence. I thought you worked in Keystone."

"I got transferred," Eddie told him, feeling upset. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still –"

"Grandmother passed away," Malcolm murmured. "I decided to move to Central City and I heard there was an opening here."

"Wait, you're the new hire?" Eddie exclaimed, though he tried to keep quiet.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Yes, dear brother."

"Why didn't you tell me? Call me or something? Even if you still thought I was in Keystone, I still would have been close enough. You could have at least called."

Malcolm scowled. "You're not my keeper. And stop it with that 'kicked puppy' look. You look stupid."

Eddie felt hurt, but didn't say anything. His younger brother always hated him getting all worked up over him anyway.

"And call me Thorn," Malcolm continued. "I don't know you and I don't want to be related to you. As far as I'm concerned, everyone knows me as Malcolm Thorn here. Not Malcolm  _Thawne_ ," he spat out like it was a curse word.

Eddie pressed his lips into a thin line. "Fine," he gritted out.

"So we have an understanding?" Malcolm drawled.

"Whatever," Eddie scoffed. "If you want to be like this, fine. Act like you don't know me, or like we aren't even related."

Malcolm sneered. "Trust me. We so aren't."

His brother turned on his heel and strode away, and Eddie felt like making him come back and demanding why he was acting like this. Malcolm had never particularly liked him, but he'd always been a quiet and unsociable type. Their parents hadn't been a help either, especially considering their con artists lifestyle, before they'd been put away…

But now he was peeling away purposely, like ripping off the scab on a wound slowly and painfully.

No, he'd never really liked Eddie, but now it seemed like he hated him.

* * *

The day and night was a moderate workday. It wasn't full of action for the CCPD, but it wasn't completely slow either. There was problems to fix through the day, but mainly things were pretty steady for them all. Pizza was brought in, in honor of Barry, and everyone got full off of it in their respective breaks. When it neared nighttime, the cake was brought out and even those in the jail cells got to have a piece. Anderson was filming the entire thing, planning on getting Barry to see it when she woke up ('cause she will), and the whole lot of them calling on Joe's cell. When they were answered and made sure Joe (with Iris) was at STAR Labs and next to Barry, the entire station began to sing 'Happy Birthday' in the hopes it would reach her in her coma.

Malcolm, hidden away from the group, slipped away and up the stairs unnoticeably. He made his way to the area that had been dubbed Barry Allen's, and was agreed would stay hers.

Quietly, he walked into the large space and looked around, observing every little facet and hint that could make up Barry's character. He saw her desk and walked over. There, in plain view, was a photo of Barry Allen, with Iris and Joe West.

He held up the glass of apple cider to her picture, smiling widely.

"Happy May 13th, Ms. Allen. A very happy birthday to us both."

He downed the drink quickly, and put down the glass with a distinct clink! on her desk. Then he sat himself onto the desk and looked up at the sky view.

He held out his hand, flicked his fingers, and blue flames appeared. He clenched his hand into a fist and doused them just as easily.

"You've been a busy little bee, Berenice. I hope you'll spare some time for me when you wake up."

Miles away, Harrison felt very unhappy and uneasy all of a sudden. He stopped his contented listening of the voices coming through Joe's phone, joined by Cisco, Caitlin, and Iris' singing, and instead frowned to himself as he looked disturbingly thoughtful at the floor.

He quickly plastered a smile on his face when attention was directed towards him, and he clapped quietly with everyone and accepted his plate of cake. He flipped his fork once, still thinking. He ate his cake politely, was glad when everyone left, and declined any offers of a ride back to his home.

Instead, as soon as everyone left, he stood up from his wheelchair and quickly walked over to Barry, eyebrows furrowing.

"You need to wake up, Barry. Something…something in the air tells me you need to wake up, and wake up  _now_."

Home. Home was his priority, wasn't it?

Then why was he getting the sense that he needed to keep her safe at all costs? A part of him wanted to say that it was only because he needed her alive to help him home, but…

He remembered Luthor. He remembered the military ganging up on the Flash. He remembered the public execution. And he remembered the Justice Lords.

He remembered her dying.

"You aren't allowed to die again," Harrison hissed at her. "Not by anyone's hands. Not unless it's me!"

" _Need a charge, Eobard?"_

"No, I don't need a charge!" he roared. "I need  _you_!"

He recoiled, the statement hitting him like a ton of bricks. His jaw clenched and he backed away from the comatose girl, before walking briskly out of there and towards his secret room. Inside, he swallowed heavily as he activated Gideon.

Seeing the familiar newspaper article didn't bring him the relief he wanted.

* * *

When the months flew by, they just seemed to fly. Malcolm worked with the others and did his job well, but there was always something about him that made others uneasy and he just seemed off-putting. Iris became closer friends with Eddie, but the blond knew there was still some sort of odd block coming from her.

Joe and he worked as partners and seemed to get along fine. Sometimes Eddie would go up and keep Barry's lab company, eventually finding her hidden graph relating everything about her mother's murder.

In Starling, Oliver was in the middle of something as always, and the friction between he and Felicity was hurtling towards all-time highs and lows, while they both remembered and worried over a certain comatose brunette in the back of their minds.

All the while, STAR Labs meticulously kept watch over Barry Allen, waiting for her to wake up.

It was all Caitlin Snow had nowadays, and what she focused on. She didn't want to remember Ronnie or the life she'd lost all in a single night. Cisco Ramon's own life was tied up there, and he continuously searched up Barry's Facebook page, stumbling on little facts and quirks about her that made him grin or even outright laugh.

And then one day, nine months later…Barry did wake up.

She heard Lady Gaga. There were voices around her too. The familiar smells of blueberry and hot chocolate wafted through her nostrils, and she could feel her breath hitch. There was a beep. The voices stopped talking.

Then her eyes fluttered open and she heard a gasp, before there were two unfamiliar people rushing to be in her face.

"–Hi, I'm Cisco! You must be Barry –"

"I'm Dr. Snow, and I would appreciate if you went and peed into this –"

"I heard you loved  _Poker Face_ , so I tried playing it all the time –"

"Don't stress yourself, and don't move too quickly! You just woke up from a nine month coma!"

Nine months? Coma? What? What were they talking about? Where was she? What had happened? She was so confused…

"Cisco! Caitlin! I think the two of you need to back up and give Miss Allen her space," she heard a commanding voice say.

Suddenly, to her surprise and confusion, Dr. Harrison Wells appeared in front of her, wearing a soft smile and sitting in a wheelchair.

"Miss Allen, welcome back to the world of the living. There have been a great deal of things that happened while you slept, but you have been greatly missed by many people."

Barry stared at him, before her eyes rolled in her head and she fainted dead away.

The three around her exchanged looks.

"Well…that was anticlimactic," Cisco broke the silence.

"We need to run some tests, see if she's okay," Caitlin muttered.

Harrison coughed, gaining their undivided attention. "It's obvious that we overwhelmed her. It must've been a shock to wake up all of a sudden, especially to strangers and an unfamiliar place. Her thoughts must've been jumbled as well. Cisco, call her family –let them know she's awoken, but to keep on with their day. She's currently resting. Caitlin, we'll get to those tests. She just needs her rest and to readjust to her current situation. We just need to take things slowly, let her acclimate. Else we'll put her further into shock."

Caitlin reluctantly nodded and Cisco went to do as he was asked. Harrison took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at Barry then, and gave a wry grin.

"Nothing's ever boring when you're around, is it, Barry?" he said under his breath, unheard of by anyone else.

Still, she was awake now. That meant things could progress faster and time would be on his side.

Started 6/27/15 – Completed 6/27/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this got done fast. Early finish and early update, because I'm on a roll with this. I hoped everyone liked it! Review please?
> 
> Quick Points:
> 
> 1\. Barry as CSI in the show: I know I mentioned a lot of it last time with Singh, but doesn't anyone noticed –for just an assistant –Barry's relied on a lot to be called onto crime scenes and to figure out what happened? Like what about the other CSI folks? XD He's late and Singh's going to have to move on without CSI, but what about the others? And his lab! People call it his lab too, I think. And there's no one else in there all the time, at any other hour of the day or night! I see other CSI walking around sometimes on the crime scenes, but Barry's doing all the work figuring stuff out, lol.
> 
> 2\. The Flashbacks: Because I miss Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (cries and goes on JL/JLU binge).
> 
> 3\. Barry's birthday: It's either March 19 because of the 1976 DC Calendar, or May 13 from "The Life Story of The Flash" (1997). I went with May 13, 'cause that source's more recent, I'm a 90's girl, and the timeline I'm writing makes it fit. Also -May Queen traditions :D
> 
> 4\. Malcolm Thorn/Thawne: I guess it's obvious who he is? XD Anyway, I didn't mean for this and it's really coincidental, but giving Malcolm 'Thorn' as a last name is funnily enough similar to Emily Thorne from "Revenge." And with the similar storyline kind of deal going on…I only picked it because it sounded alike to Thawne…
> 
> 5\. Playlist:
> 
> Chapter I  
> Summer by Calvin Harris  
> May It Be by Enya
> 
> Chapter II:  
> Allt varo hljott by Olafur Arnalds  
> Farewell by Evgueni Galperine
> 
> Chapter III:  
> Big Girls Cry by Sia  
> I Am the Walrus by The Beatles  
> Don't Cry by Guns N' Roses


	4. The Cloudless Sky I

When Barry woke, she felt groggy. For a moment, she was confused again, before a short collection of memories of her first awakening hit her. She was, while still confused, a little clearer on what was happening. At least there wasn't anyone there, trying to force her to pee in a cup or something…

But oh! There had been  _Dr. Wells_  there. What was he doing there and why was he in a wheelchair? And dear God, what an impression she must've made! She probably looked half-crazed or something.

Suddenly, she heard a whirl and speak of the devil, Dr. Wells himself wheeled into the room. Seeing her awake, he slowly smiled widely and came closer. Actually, he started saying something too, but she couldn't quite hear or focus, considering right then the image in her head was a far cry from reality.

In fact, she could hear  _Take My Breath Away_  playing in the background as Dr. Wells came closer, like a cliché 80's love scene, or just like where the song came from in  _Top Gun_ and Dr. Wells was Tom Cruise and she was Kelly McGillis. Her perception of reality must've been further skewed by the fact she was seeing an invisible wind blowing his already untamable hair back, and the background was fading from a lab and into a romanticized sunset backdrop.

"Miss Allen, are you alright?" she finally heard as he came to a stop in front of her, looking puzzled but still smiling.

She opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything aside from "Guh?"

Barry turned red in embarrassment and wished she was back to being comatose and out of this ridiculous situation she'd gotten herself into. She gave an awkward smile and laughed nervously.

"Sorry, I was just…"  _'Picturing you in a Tom Cruise way? Yeah, I'm not going to say that.'_ "Still just trying to gather myself. I'm still confused about everything."

Oh God, she was being ridiculous and she could just hear Iris snort in the back of her head, taunting her about  _"Oh yeah, your 'celebrity crush.' Geez girl, it's been way blown out of proportion, and you've got issues. He's like Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Justin Bieber all rolled into one for you!"_

She knew her face was probably flushed red and her thoughts weren't helping her, but also…

Justin Bieber? Really, Iris?

Although, she did agree with the Iris voice in her head that her idol worship of the man was probably very, very weird and ridiculous. Like she was and kept being.

"Miss Allen, perhaps a glass of water would help?" he said firmly, handing her a glass.

She hid her wince. Ugh, she zoned out again.

Barry gave him a stiff smile and took many sips of water, feeling much better afterwards. She finally focused and centered her attention on Dr. Wells. The Berlin song also came to a screeching halt, especially as the unfamiliar people from before entered the room.

"Miss Allen, this is Dr. Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon," Dr. Wells introduced them. "Caitlin will be checking your vitals right now. I should inform you that Cisco was able to contact your family and inform them of your awakening, so you don't have to worry and that they will be coming over soon."

Barry gave him a thankful smile, while allowing Dr. Snow to check her. Then the doctor held up the cup from before and gave an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but I really need a urine sample. I can show you where the bathrooms are?"

Barry sighed, but pulled herself off the bed, and both Dr. Snow and Cisco Ramon came to help.

"Thank you, Dr. Snow, Mr. Ramon," she thanked, though she was beginning to suddenly feel energized.

"Oh! Just call me Caitlin," the slightly older woman's cheeks turned a little pink.

The young man grinned at her. "And call me Cisco! No one ever calls me Mr. Ramon, though it felt kind of cool…"

"Just call me Barry then," she returned, and pushed herself off the bed. She grabbed the cup and Caitlin led the way, while she shyly snuck a glance at Dr. Wells. He had a faint smile on his face, watching her walk passed.

Her hands clenched around the urine cup.

Inside the bathroom, just as she was about to head into a stall, she saw the mirror and gaped at herself. She hadn't noticed her current attire, or really lack of. Being stuck in a red lacy bra and gray short-shorts was bad enough, but to remember she'd been wearing this around everyone earlier –around  _Dr. Wells_! –caused her to make a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Why couldn't she stop embarrassing herself?!

She didn't have  _huge_  breasts, but she had moderate C-cups that were enough to obviously jut out from her chest. And her shorts contoured way too clingy to her bum. And…

"Why do I have  _abs_?" she gaped unashamedly.

She wasn't the laziest person in the world, but she'd never had abs!

"This is too strange," she decided, going for a stall and wanting to get this over with.

She managed to pee quickly, getting it all in the cup and not making a mess, and then exited the stall to wash her hands. She met back up with Caitlin outside of the bathroom, and was led back to the main lab with the others.

Barry sat back on the bed, watching as everyone got to work. Dr. Wells wheeled himself closer.

"So, um, can I ask what happened?" She was much more coherent now, so she'd probably digest the information better.

"You were in a coma for nine months," Dr. Wells started out, and Barry winced. That long? "You are currently in STAR Labs, in what we call the Cortex. To be honest, STAR Labs hasn't been operational since FEMA categorized us as a Class Four hazardous location. Seventeen people died the night of the particle accelerator explosion, with many more injured," Dr. Wells gave her a wry smile and gestured to himself. "With myself amongst them."

Barry fidgeted slightly, while Caitlin and Cisco averted their eyes and began to work on something.

"Why don't you follow me, Miss Allen?" Dr. Wells said and began to wheel away, out of the Cortex.

Barry jumped off the bed and headed after him, and after an uncomfortable silence, he'd led her down to where she saw a damaged hall and overlooked a glass border to the ruins at the ground.

"Oh," she gasped silently.

"Nine months ago, the particle accelerator went online exactly as planned. And for forty five minutes, I had achieved my life's dream," Dr. Wells' voice tinged bitter at the end. He sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "And then there was an anomaly."

He explained what happened and she listened attentively. And as he talked about how the storm cloud was seeded and created, she knew what happened to her then.

"And that was what created the lightning bolt that hit me," she said softly.

He nodded reluctantly. "Correct," he murmured. "I was recovering myself when I heard about you. The hospital kept having unexplainable power outages every time you were going into cardiac arrest, but that was a misdiagnosis. I realized your heart was actually beating too fast for the EKG to register it."

"Oh…so I ended up here?" she asked, figuring it out.

"Yes, though it was by no means easy," Dr. Wells confessed. "As you can guess, I've become quite the pariah. As much as I could manage to convince your foster father, I also had the help of Captain Singh to convince him that the best option for you was to transfer you into my care and bring you to STAR Labs."

"Singh?" her eyebrows flew up. She smiled slightly. "I knew that guy liked me," she joked slightly.

"Are you cold, Miss –Barry?" he corrected himself immediately at her look.

She looked at him in confusion, before noticing she still wasn't fully clothed. She turned red, just as he took something he'd tucked between the side of his wheelchair and his leg.

"I managed to snag this on the way out of the Cortex, though I apologize for forgetting to give it to you straight away. I'd gotten sidetracked."

So did she, damn it! Walking around in her skivvies, and all this way in front of Dr. Wells while she was at it! How indecent!

Barry blushingly accepted the sweatshirt and pulled it on. It was long enough to cover her torso entirely, but also covered her shorts. However, plenty of her legs was left to show. She decided she was just going to ignore it and pretend she was a lot more covered than she was.

"We should head back and let Caitlin take care of you. Like I said, your family should be here later on, after their work, so don't worry about them and please don't rush off."

She agreed reluctantly and the two of them went back, to where she allowed Caitlin to do a blood draw, before she was put back onto the bed to rest.

"Sooo…you work for the police," Cisco said, grinning curiously at her.

She grinned back, liking him already. He was funny, kind, and rambunctious.

"Yeah. If Singh still has me in the division, I work as a CSI forensic assistant. I usually go out onto crime scenes and work with the CSI technicians, who gather and note the evidence, while I analyze the evidence and the crime scene. I do the lab testing too, and I also go onto the crime scene to gather evidence, usually to do on-scene observation and analyzation," Barry rambled. "Also, I'm a practicing crime scene reconstructionist, which means I also just not gather and test evidence and figure out the pieces individually, but I reconstruct the scene, the crime, and everything to put all the pieces together and figure out what happened. Like all the gathered evidence is put together to form a picture of a likely scenario."

Caitlin's eyebrows were raised. "That sounds like a lot of work. Aren't there more CSI workers to help you out to do those kinds of things?"

Barry shrugged, giving a sheepish smile. "The CCPD is underfunded as is, but the CSI department more so. There are around twelve technicians, and they just usually gather the evidence and document everything, or help around wherever they can and are allowed to. There are three other actual CSI workers that can help with testing and analyzing, and one forensic scientist who is the Head of the department. Then there's me, the only forensic assistant."

Cisco whistled. "Wow. Sounds crazy and busy, especially for you."

"Haha, yeah!" Barry beamed at him. "But it's satisfying work. Anyway, is there any way I can go take a shower? I would like one, especially considering the fact I've been in a coma for nine months."

"Of course. I'll get you some sweatpants to wear with that, along with a shirt. But you shouldn't worry about your hygiene –I've made sure to give you a sponge bath every day," Caitlin said, matter of fact.

Somehow, that really didn't make Barry feel any better. She did do her best to not blush.

After Caitlin retrieved the aforementioned clothing, and told Barry that the showers were where the bathroom was at, she'd left the three there.

"With all that work, why hasn't she been promoted?" was Cisco's incredulous question.

"Because she's overqualified," Dr. Wells said, causing the other two to look at him. "I believe, in your research into her, you know about her Masters in chemistry and physics, yes? As well as her undergraduate degree in criminal justice. With her degrees and list of skills, she's overqualified to be hired at all. She can't be a full forensic scientist given that it would lessen her broad range of usefulness, which would be a disaster for an underfunded, overworked, and underemployed CSI division."

Caitlin nodded. "If she's promoted to a full forensic scientist, there's no one able to fill in for her. There are the technicians who gather everything, the three CSI workers who focus in the lab –even if they can be called out, and the Head –the forensic scientist –who probably stays behind, directs when needed, and usually deals with paperwork, etc. She's the go-between with them all, and has a more full-deck of duties to do. If she gets promoted, then there's things that only she's able to do but can't, since she'd be stuck behind and probably working with the Head."

"Which means no real analyzation on crime scenes, and especially reconstruction, which is her personal nifty skill," Cisco added on. "And usually, when you're overqualified, you're never hired at all."

"But the CCPD, other than probably being desperate to hire someone like her, also probably knew her aspirations to be hired by them for a long time, considering her long time association with them, with her foster father and being a personal visitor herself. So, overqualified or not, they were going to end up hiring her either way. But since she was overqualified, they had to give her a useful but still lower level of a position that also wouldn't compromise with her new hire status, young age, and lack of experience," Dr. Wells concluded for them.

"I wonder why she worked so hard to work there and to know all these things for that position," Caitlin muttered.

Dr. Wells was unexpectedly quiet.

* * *

Barry breathed in deeply, inhaling the steam. The hot water felt good against her skin, relaxing her muscles and clearing her head. She felt cleaner and she allowed herself to think over everything that had happened.

Nine months. Nine months where her entire life had been put on hold. Everyone else's lives had gone on, while hers had been put on pause. And the grief she must've put on her family…how had Joe and Iris been this entire time?

She closed her eyes, trying to see where and how she would be able to fit herself back into the scheme of things and back into everyone else's lives. There was so much…so much…

When she opened her eyes, trying to get a hold of herself, she didn't expect the sight of the water almost freezing in motion around her. Her eyes widened and she backed away, and the water resumed its normal rush.

What…what was that?

She was undoubtedly freaked out and thought she'd probably been in the shower too long and that the hot water was probably getting to her. She moved to go turn off the shower, when suddenly she'd moved so fast that she almost rammed into the wall. Getting further freaked out by the second, Barry held up her hand and noticed it was  _vibrating_.

She screamed loudly, with her scream echoing through the bathroom and probably even outside of it.

Without thinking, she ran out of the shower stall, but again she moved too fast somehow and had crashed into the wall opposite the shower stall she was in. Sobbing and wondering what was happening to her, she ran again, heading further into the shower room, still somehow speeding. She crashed into the back wall, before pausing and shaking it off and then stumbling into the empty and off shower stall in front of her. She collapsed onto the ground and curled into a ball, sobbing.

She didn't notice as the door opened, and the click of heels entering.

"Barry?" she heard Caitlin call out. "Are you okay? We…we heard you scream from all the way in the Cortex. Is something wrong?"

"Everything's wrong! I've been in a coma, everyone's probably moved on, and now my body's vibrating! What is going on with me?" Barry was beyond hysterical at this point. Too much had happened in a short amount of time, and she'd just awoken. Hell, she'd awoke to  _this_  and she was feeling like a freak of nature.

The click of heels sounded faster until Caitlin had made it all the way to the end of the line of stalls, finding Barry all curled up.

"L-let's get you dried up and into some clothes, and we'll head back out, alright?" Caitlin tried to be reassuring. "Dr. Wells will be much better explaining than I would."

She disappeared for a sec, coming back with a towel and Barry's clothes. Sniffling, Barry hurriedly toweled down and then took her clothes from the other woman, dressing just as quickly. Then she was led the way back, to where Cisco and Dr. Wells waited anxiously. After Barry explained what happened (after a bit of prompting from Caitlin), Dr. Wells had a thoughtful look on his face.

"I don't think the world was slowing down," Cisco spoke up. "I think you were moving too fast that it only looked like the world was slowing down."

Dr. Wells nodded. "I believe Cisco is correct. And if your description of your hand vibrating is any indication, I think your body is capable of extreme feats of speed. Do you think you can replicate your hand vibrating for us?"

Barry was unsure, but said she'd try. She held up her hand and concentrated, and sure enough, it started vibrating again.

"Cool," Cisco breathed out.

"Perhaps a test of speed would be necessary, to see how fast you can go," Dr. Wells said calmly, though he was eying her hand intently. "If you don't mind, Barry? We can take the STAR Labs RV and head to the Ferris Air Testing Facility. It's no longer in use and quite far away, so it would be a perfect place to test your abilities."

Barry hesitantly agreed, and soon enough they were packing to get into the RV. Cisco rode shotgun, while Caitlin drove, and both she and Dr. Wells were in the trailer. She was still in awe of the guy, so it was pretty awkward for her. She was also still pretty freaked out with what was happening to her.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked him quietly. "What happened? How did I…become like this?"

Dr. Wells took off his glasses and looked straight at her, and she couldn't help noticing (again) that his eyes were really blue.

"When the particle accelerator went active, we celebrated and felt like heroes. And then something happened, the dimensional barrier broke, and unknown energies were released into the world," he tapped something onto his tablet and gestured for her to come closer. She got up from her seat and stood next to his chair, bending down to have a closer look. Although, the movement caused her to stick close to him, and she could smell him up close. She refrained from blushing, but it was a close thing.

However, she focused in as he showed her a video of the particle accelerator's eruption.

"Would others have been affected?" she suddenly asked.

He looked over at her. "Why would you ask that?"

"Before I was struck by lightning, I saw the particle accelerator erupt and then a wave of energy lash out from it and to around the area," she told him. "And if you say what was released into the world happened, then it would make sense that there were others who were affected by the different energies. It's all not so theoretical now, is it?"

He shook his head. "No, I doubt so. Especially considering you."

"We're here!" Cisco said in excitement, interrupting them.

"Time, I guess," Barry twitched.

"They're called metahumans," Dr. Wells said suddenly, and she gave him a surprised look. "At least that's what we've taken to calling them. We don't know how many were affected, where they are, or just exactly who and what were affected. But they're out there and it feels damn lucky for us to have found you."

Barry gave him a small smile, and then they were setting up outside while Barry got dressed in the snug one-piece Cisco had given her to put on. Scrunching up her nose at it, she dressed in it quickly before meeting with the others outside.

"How's it fit?" Cisco grinned at her.

"Perfectly. Absolutely perfectly," Barry told him dryly.

"Let's get started then," Dr. Wells interrupted, and had Barry go to the starting blocks to put her feet against. "Remember to use caution, Barry. Use restraint."

She took a deep breath and then set off. It was going quite well actually. Barry was even starting to feel less freaked out and more amazed at what she was doing.

And then she flashed back to the night of her mother's murder, and promptly tripped and crashed into a cluster of barrels, feeling something snap and then being in extreme pain.

* * *

The ride back was embarrassing. She lay in the trailer, cradling her wrist, while Cisco drove back as fast as he could. Caitlin was in the back this time, administering what little aid she could with the first aid kit on board the RV. Dr. Wells, surprisingly (and to her embarrassment), was soothingly caressing her head and murmuring things she couldn't hear.

She tried to blank out as much as she could until they reached STAR Labs again, to which Caitlin fixed her up and was doing her best to help. After x-rays were taken and Barry had taken another shower to wash off the grime, dirt and dust that got on her from her tumble, Dr. Wells wheeled up to her once she'd been seated back on her bed.

"May I ask what happened? You were doing very well and then all of a sudden, you seemed to lose focus."

Barry stared off into space, remembering again.

"I was remembering the night my mother was murdered," she dazedly said, not noticing as the room and everyone in it stilled. "I was eleven, but I still remember everything perfectly. It was late…but I heard noises from downstairs. I was walking down and I remember seeing flashes of red and yellow. When I rushed down the last of the steps, I saw my mother was trapped inside a whirl of yellow and red lightning. There was a man in the lightning…a man in yellow. I've never forgotten it, and no matter what everyone says –whether it was the cops or the shrinks, I know what I saw."

She felt a hand grip onto hers, and she was startled out of her thoughts as she went back to the present and saw Dr. Wells gently take the hand that had been gripping onto her injured one tightly.

"I believe you, Barry. If you say that is what you saw, then I believe you," he solemnly said.

And Barry couldn't help looking back at him in astonishment. No one had ever really believed her before, and for the first time, someone did. And it made her want to choke up and cry, because someone finally believed in her and what she'd said she saw.

"Looks like you had a distal radial fracture," Caitlin said, breaking up the moment.

"Had?" Barry asked faintly, reluctantly pulling her gaze away from Dr. Wells.

"It's healed already. In just three hours."

She looked at her in shock. "What? How?"

"We don't know…yet," Caitlin looked at her tentatively.

"Well, that's lucky for us, because I think your family has just arrived," Cisco winced, looking at the monitors. "They brought that pretty boy detective too."

"Eddie?" Barry gave him a strange look. She was caught off guard that the other was there as well. "Why is it I find it hilarious that people outside the station call him something like that as well?"

She missed the dark look that passed Dr. Wells' face.

They were let in and as soon as they saw Barry, Joe and Iris rushed towards her and enveloped her into a tight hug. Eddie hung back, but as soon as the two finally let go (they still stuck close by though), Eddie stepped forward and held out his hand awkwardly.

"Welcome back, Barry," he said warmly, as she grasped his hand. "Everyone at the station's been clamoring to see you, after the news that you were awake again."

Joe snorted. "Oh, you bet. The whole CSI division was planning on an en masse incursion over to here, before Singh put a stop to it and told them to 'wait their asses.'"

Barry burst out into laughter. Sounded like the guys.

"So, I know I missed plenty…just tell me what I missed today," Barry beamed at them. This felt good. She was awake, with her family, and things almost felt normal.

"Same old, same old," Joe sighed. "There was a robbery at Gold City Bank. Eddie's my partner now, so we went to check it out."

Eddie cut in, grinning widely. "There were wacky reports from the witnesses, talking about how all of a sudden there was a huge storm appearing in the bank out of nowhere. It's the third time that a sudden storm has appeared before a robbery. Maybe something to put on your blog? I've written down notes about it, if you want to take a look at them."

Joe rolled his eyes, while Barry was surprised. "You've got a convert," Joe deadpanned. "He's been reading your blog."

Barry laughed lightly, feeling extremely flattered. Usually those who read her blog roll their eyes, but to know someone like Eddie liked it and even believed in some of the stuff, she felt really good about it.

"Only other thing that had happened today was Anderson dealing with a detainee that got to his gun, before he and Gibbons managed to wrestle it away. No one was injured, but those two and the detainee are probably dealing with a bunch of bumps and bruises," Eddie tacked on.

"Sounds pretty eventful to me," Barry mused.

"How about you?" Iris asked. "Anything happened from the time you woke up?"

Barry glanced at the others, where Caitlin looked nervous and Cisco looked panicked. Dr. Wells was straight-faced, but he shook his head slightly.

"Not really," Barry lied. "Just had to go through some tests. Caitlin made sure my vitals were okay, and did everything she could think of to make sure I was alright."

Joe looked to Dr. Wells. "Does that mean that she's okay to go home?"

Dr. Wells hesitated. "We would like to make sure she's okay, so it's preferable if she stays for overnight observation."

The others looked reticent, while Barry was pretty torn. On one hand, she was still getting used to being…apparently super fast. But she really missed everyone and wanted to get out of there.

For a while, since the decision was final, they continued to talk into the night. Joe and Eddie had to leave early because they had work tomorrow, and Iris had school. Iris had tears in her eyes as she gripped onto Barry tightly, before reluctantly pulling away and kissing Barry's temple.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Blue Barry," Iris chuckled and brushed Barry's hair back.

She left her side and Joe took her place. The man gave her a watery smile, eyes roving over her urgently, as if trying to reassure himself that Barry was alive and well, and truly in front of him.

"I'm here, Joe," she smiled softly.

He sighed happily and leaned over to hug her. "You'll be up and at 'em, kid. Tomorrow, you've got practically a legion of overprotective dolts that wants to see you again."

Joe took a step back and ruffled her hair, and then Eddie came forward. He shuffled forward awkwardly, wearing a shy smile. He was absolutely adorable and Barry had the strangest urge to coo and reach forward to just…pinch his cheeks? Cuddle him?

It was just that he was being supremely cute somehow, and Barry always did have a weakness for cute things. But she did keep herself contained, and only offered a sincere smile back.

But to her surprise, Eddie made the decision to hug her and she smelled the scent of blueberries for a second, before he pulled back and it was only a lingering smell.

"You smell like blueberries," Barry blurted out.

Eddie's face turned red, and he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ah, I do? Haha, funny that. Um, I'll just go and start the car up."

Eddie beat a hasty retreat.

Joe looked at his retreating back funny, though he did look slightly suspicious. Joe also bid farewell then, leaving Iris to say her goodbyes once more. Barry's best friend giggled.

"He had blueberry scones earlier," Iris revealed. "He had the urge to have a blueberry treat after hearing you were awake. Then again, so did the rest of the police station, and Singh had to go and buy a huge blueberry cobbler for everyone."

Barry laughed hard at that, and Iris smirked.

* * *

It was quiet. At his insistence, Caitlin and Cisco returned to their homes for rest. He stayed most nights at STAR Labs, so he told them he didn't mind staying behind and watching over Barry. She'd slept for a bit, but as he could see now, she was wide awake and contemplating something, if the look on her face said anything.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked in amusement, breaking her bubble of silence.

She turned around, startled. Harrison wheeled closer to her, and her startled expression broke out into a beautiful smile. He felt, as was usual these days, his hate instantly evaporate just being near her. And when she was directing that smile towards  _him_ of all people…

"Just thinking about what's going to happen now, and what to do with myself. I…have these powers now. I can run fast and heal quickly. I want to help people. I don't just want to  _have_ these powers and do nothing. I want to do something with them. I want to do good with them."

He almost laughed. It was just like her. No matter how many times he came across her, she was always wanting to help someone. It was so ingrained in her nature, that it was engraved into her very soul.

She shifted on the bed and moved her legs over to the side to face him. She rubbed the back of her head.

"I've always wanted to help people," she told him seriously. "I did what I could before, but now I can do so much more."

Harrison was having a hard time trying to figure out what to say to her. His conflicted thoughts and feelings were making it difficult for him to be coherent, when one part of him wanted to wrap his hands around her neck and the other part of him –the one that grew larger with each passing second spent in her presence –wanted to hold onto her tightly.

And then, along with her smile, he watched as Barry bit her lip nervously and then got off the bed and leaned over him, tentatively wrapping her arms around him. His breath hitched, but only enough for him to notice and for her to not pay any attention to it.

" _Thank you_ , Dr. Wells. I woke up to what seemed like a whole new world. I felt lost, confused, and alone. And you helped bring some clarity, kept me from completely drowning," she pulled away from him, still smiling gratefully down at him.

" _Don't you want to be_ _ **happy**_ _, Eobard? You have all this bottled up anger in you. Don't you want to be happy?"_

_I did. I do. But then I found out and realized my destiny. To be the_ _**darkness** _ _to your light._

" _Oh, Eobard." Don't look at me like that. Don't touch my face. "All I wanted was for you to be happy."_

_Blood. So much blood. You're_ _**covered** _ _in it. I hate you. I hate you so much for doing this._

" _If you want me to be so happy, then –"_

"Don't die," Harrison choked out, finishing words from the past.

Barry was still smiling, but she also looked confused. But then she looked alarmed as he broke into gasping sobs, and he knew he would have to explain this all away as some odd reflection stemming from Tess Morgan's death still affecting him. That his grief of her death still pained him to this day, as was expected and known by all.

But he… _he_  truly never got over  _Barry's_ death. All of her deaths.

As of this moment, Harrison counted and remembered two times Barry Allen had died in front of his eyes (three, because hadn't she phased out of existence?). And he knew, without even remembering the other times, she'd probably had died even more than that.

Harrison felt, more than saw, Barry pull him back into her arms, trying to comfort him in an embrace. He closed his eyes and inhaled, and  _she_ –not his ancestor – really did smell of blueberries. He bit down on his cheek and ignored the swell of blood flowing into his mouth, the taste of copper becoming strong.

_The skies were blood red and ominously hovering over all of them. The ruins of Metropolis were all around them, and he dazedly wondered where Superman had gone off to with Doomsday. He heard coughing and he looked down to watch Barry lying limp across his lap, bloodied and broken, and suit torn up._

_She laughed painfully, but still had twinkling eyes as she gazed up at him._

" _Why are you happy?" he asked dully._

" _I choose to be happy," she murmured. "So why won't you? Are you done being my villain?"_

" _No."_

_She gave him a sad smile. "I hope one day you'll choose happiness."_

_Barry looked up at the red skies and closed her eyes. "I hate these skies. I miss the night, with the stars all over and looking like diamonds."_

' _I would have hung diamonds all over you,' he would have said, but the words never left his mouth._

" _Eobard,_ _ **go**_ _," she said forcefully, all of a sudden. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him with fire in her eyes, catching him off guard. "Go, Eobard, before_ _ **It**_ _comes. It's coming for me, not you. You have to run, Eobard."_

" _Who?" he asked breathlessly._

" _The Black Flash," she gasped out. "Just go, Eobard! It comes for our kind when it's time for us to die. And you…it's not your time yet. So_ _ **run**_ _!"_

_Eobard slipped away from her and did. He ran and ran, until he could feel himself running from there, from that time, from her._

It was almost painful, Harrison's grip around Barry, he knew. But she was dying over and over in his head, and she kept making him leave, and he kept running away.

This time…this time couldn't he choose to be happy?

Started 6/29/15 – Completed 7/1/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like torturing characters, can you tell? XD Lol, I was hoping to end the pilot episode in here, but there's a lot of stuff I want to put in and I don't want to rush things or condense them into undetailed forms. So, there's going to be part 2 and finally the end of the pilot episode next chapter. And this chapter…changed but not changed! Oh, Eobard, what have you done to time? Please review if you enjoyed this chapter and the changes!
> 
> Quick (sort of) Points:
> 
> 1\. Malcolm "Thorn"/Thawne: If you don't know who he is, it's alright. You don't have to look him up if you don't want to be spoiled, but if you do, just find him on the DC Wikia. Also, has anyone ever seen "Stoker"? Because I totally picture Malcolm as Matthew Goode as Charlie in it. The attitude/behaviour's the same…then again, Stoker!Charlie is also reminiscent of Eobard Thawne too XD What is it with these Thawnes? Ugh, I also watch "Gladiator" too much, because Malcolm's got a bit of Emperor Commodus in him. So I guess that makes Eddie Maximus? Eobard would probably daydream he was instead…
> 
> 2\. CSI specifics: I got technical. I'm so sorry. I always get technical. I couldn't help it! Barry's situation bugged at me until I made sense of it, so I researched CSI work and all that jazz, and coincided it with things we know from the show. And what's up with her job and all. Sooo…in conclusion, there are a few others who can do some of what Barry does, but she has broader range of duties and skills, and is good at what she does, so Singh probably prioritizes her and therefore relies on her and trusts her work the most.
> 
> 3\. Timelines/Barry: I'm sorry. Again. I keep killing future!Barry off XD I don't know who Eobard's hating on more: Barry for continuously dying on him, or me for doing/writing it.
> 
> 4\. Playlist:
> 
> Chapter IV:  
> Take My Breath Away by Berlin  
> Flicker by Lorde (Kanye West rework)  
> Breathe Me by Sia  
> Diamonds by Sami & Sasha (Rihanna cover)


	5. The Cloudless Sky II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I basically killed canon and the show (and all sense) with this chapter.

If Harrison broke out the brandy, it was really his business and Barry didn't say anything about it. He did silently pour her a glass, and she quietly accepted it though.

"Sometimes I remember her," he said, letting her assume he was talking about Tess Morgan when he was really talking about her…in several other timelines. "I can see her dying in front of me all the time."

Barry glanced at him worriedly, but he was going to get this out, whether or not she would understand. By the time she understood, it would be too late and he would be long home and away from this time.

"Sometimes I'm bitter and angry that she died before me. That she died in front of me, and I couldn't do anything," and he stared directly into her eyes, just barely refraining from glaring at her. "In my memories and dreams, she –"  _'You –'_  "keeps leaving me behind and dying on me, and I resent the fact the images are burned into my memory."

Barry reached over and grasped his hand, giving him a small smile. He wanted to wrench his hand away, glare at her and scream obscenities. But she, unmindful of his hateful and resentful thoughts, held onto his hand tighter, and he felt all the negativity just deflate out of him and tiredness replace it. This was just like Barry; every other time he knew her, no matter how angry or reticent he got with her, she stubbornly held onto him.

"It's always painful to lose those close to us," Barry told him understandingly. "And it's not surprising that sometimes we feel angry at being left behind or having to be stuck remembering their deaths. It hurts after all. Sometimes you just want to forget, to run away."

He had run away. Several times from her dead body, trying to escape the image and the truth. He also hated how cowardly it felt, but then again he refused to leave her for dead at the same time.

Time, no matter how stuck he was in an eternal wager with it over Barry Allen's life and soul, was Harrison's ultimate opponent –aside from Barry herself.

With hesitation –but willing to take advantage of the moment and his perceived emotional turmoil (that wasn't all that faked, but merely displaced in true meaning) –Harrison carefully threaded his fingers through hers and gripped her hand more firmly. Bolstered by her not saying anything about it, he squeezed her hand and took a chance to glance at her.

She'd turned towards him after that and gave him an understanding look, along with one of her caring smiles. She bent forward and kissed his head kindly.

"I think we should both go back to bed," she declared, and took the alcohol and glass away from him as well. She carded her hand through his hair. "Goodnight, Dr. Wells. Feel better, alright? I don't think she would want you to be miserable and to remember her like this forever."

She climbed into bed and got settled as he startled to wheel back towards the computers, mind awhirl. He stopped halfway and turned to her, seeing her still watching him.

"Harrison," he said suddenly and she gave him a confused look. "You might as well call me Harrison, gathering you've seen me at my worse."

She gave him a hesitant smile, her cheeks pinking slightly. "Really?"

He gave her a returned faint smile. "Really. If you wish to only in private, that is fine as well. Goodnight, Barry."

The sound and taste of her name on his tongue was as familiar as it was both painful and bittersweet. And as he watched her fall asleep, his mind and thoughts weren't on returning home like they should've been. Instead, they revolved around the familiarity of watching her sleep, her even breaths, and her calming presence.

Harrison allowed himself to find peace and calm in it, all through the night and even into the morning, when Cisco and Caitlin returned to the lab.

"It's amazing," Caitlin commented as she continued her final check on Barry. "You are completely healthy. Everything's normal."

"That's a good thing, yeah?" Barry questioned.

"Yes, but you've been in a coma for nine months. And yet there's no side effects at all, or any hint that you've been comatose. Your muscles don't even show any sign of any state of atrophy. I've been analyzing the data we've gathered and I realized that somehow, you are in a constant state of cellular regeneration," Caitlin explained her thoughts.

"So like Claire from  _Heroes_?" Cisco piped up.

Everyone looked at him, but he shrugged. Caitlin coughed lightly.

"Er, yes, I suppose," she muttered.

"Is that why I've got abs now?" Barry blurted out. "'Cause you know, I woke up with them and it's weird since I've been in a coma and not doing anything. And, uh, even before that, I hadn't stepped foot inside a gym."

Caitlin breathed in deeply, before giving a strained smile. "Yes, Barry, Cisco," because Cisco had opened his mouth and was also about to second asking that, "I would hypothesize so."

Barry tutted. "I don't think I should recommend being hit by lightning to Iris for those abs she'd been trying to work out for…"

Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose, but Harrison forced down the smile he'd wanted to make for the poor woman.

"Hey, you think you can do that vibrating hand thing again?" Cisco asked Barry. "I was wondering if you could use it like a drill? Like a similar move to karate users who can punch their hands through wooden planks or something!"

Barry laughed and agreed to Cisco's experimentation, but Harrison withdrew into himself slightly. He remembered, as he did before when Barry first showed them how her hand vibrated, how often he'd vibrated his hand to kill others.  _Cisco_ , at one time, had been a victim to his "Vibrating Hand of Death," as the young man had called it.

"Okay, I'm just going to put this here," Cisco put the wooden board upright in a stand atop a table.

Barry frowned before she looked at her hand as she concentrated. It started to vibrate and Cisco cheered in success, watching eagerly. However, before Barry could move towards the board, her hand started to spark. Electrical currents ran around it and bits of it flitted off her hand in small doses until it began sparking violently.

What…How…It couldn't be…

"Ohh, ohh! Try to direct those at the board," Cisco suggested in eager surprise, unfazed by the new development.

However, while Caitlin inched closer to the medical equipment, clearly keen on getting things ready in case something went wrong, Harrison had frozen in his chair and stared in surprise at the new turn of events.

That clearly looked like Barry was at a precursor to creating electro-blasts.

Which was impossible. Or not done before. Barry had never been able to do those, and the one member of the "Flash family" capable of such was Lady Flash, Keeper of the Speed Force (and of another universe entirely).

But as he watched intently, Barry threw her vibrating hand out and created an electro-blast that blew apart the wooden board, with the remains smoldering on the floor.

Clearly, somehow this timeline was progressing at a different rate and creating divergences everywhere he looked.

He wasn't looking forward to seeing if Time was trying to create a Checkmate against him.

* * *

Barry would have gone to see Iris first, but she figured that she should check in on work. Plus, Iris had seen her already, while the rest of the precinct –according to both Joe and Eddie –were a mess of nerves and excitement.

Indeed, the moment she stepped foot through the police station's entrance, she couldn't avoid the flying tackle from Officer Anderson. Or Officer Gibbons. Or Officer Doyle.

" _Ouch_ ," Barry choked out from the floor, with the officers piled on top of each other and lastly on top of her. "Am I getting arrested?"

"No," was the chorus of entertained replies from them, while Wiere came over and yanked Doyle off of the pile first.

"You idiots," Wiere muttered at the guys, while turning his glare at her. "And you should be arrested, getting hit by lightning and going into a coma and leaving us all alone…baby face."

"Not my fault," Barry rolled her eyes, but accepted the offered hand to help her up. "And don't call me that!"

"Welcome back, baby face!" Gibbons ignored her, before pulling her into a tight hug.

She sighed in exasperation, but smiled nonetheless. "Good to be back," she agreed.

"Singh probably wants to talk to you, so you best head on over there, before he has a conniption about you coming back and not even bothering to go see him," Doyle told her.

"Yeah," Wiere agreed. "We'll walk you there while catching you up on what's happened."

Barry, curious to know what else could have happened while she was out, started walking as she listened to their various accounts. While there was many amusing anecdotes from them, the one thing that stood out (for some reason) was the new addition to the CSI division.

"Malcolm Thorn, huh," Barry said thoughtfully. "Sounds like Thawne."

Gibbons coughed. "Speaking of Thawne, you speak to him recently?"

Barry nodded, thinking back to the night before. "Yeah, he visited with Joe and Iris last night. He was acting kind of strange, but he was sweet."

With her nonchalant tone, the other guys mentally sighed.

"That poor guy," Anderson muttered.

"Looks like I can't dally any longer," Barry mock-cringed as they reached the Captain's office. "Time to face the music."

They laughed at her and she knocked on the door, before Singh's voice was heard telling her to enter. She slipped in and at the sight of her, Singh snorted and glared at her.

"You're late. By nine months."

Barry burst out into laughter, giving him a grin.

"Yeah, I know. I suck at timing."

He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk and she sat in one, while he got comfortable in his own chair.

"About time you woke up, Allen. We were going to end up redecorating your lab into a break room," he snarked, and she gave him a horrified look.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Barry gave him a 'kicked puppy' look and he relented. He grumbled for a few more seconds as he rummaged around his desk, before tossing an envelope at her. The feel of the paper was exultant and she marveled at it, knowing it was expensive. As she slipped out the letter from inside, the paper was even more luxurious and Barry felt poor just holding it.

"What's this?' she asked inquiringly, not bothering to hide the awe in her voice.

"It's an invitation," Singh told her sarcastically.

Huffing at him, she unfolded the paper to read the invite, eyes widening. She glanced at it and then him several times, before asking if it was real.

"Sure is," Singh shook his head. "Commissioner Gordon, who I know from way back, is being honored in a month.  _Bruce Wayne_ is hosting the gala that's going to come after the award ceremony. I can't go, but as a welcome back present, you want to go in my stead?"

Barry all but squealed, not holding herself back from tackling the Captain into a hug across his desk.

"If you're going, say so!" he griped good-naturedly. "I have to RSVP it, since –like all fancy smancy parties go –it's RSVP only."

"I'm going, I'm going!" Barry excitedly agreed. "And I'll get those Bruce Wayne pictures for you and Rob! Haha, I bet that's the real reason you're letting me go, huh?"

He smirked. "Partly, I would say. Head up, see your lab. I know you want to. But no starting work today! You just woke up and came in. You can start work by the end of the week."

"Tomorrow," she bargained.

"In two days," he relented.

Going with that and not arguing, she saluted him and walked out, still holding onto the invitation with reverence. She headed to her lab, hesitating by the entrance as she remembered the last time she was in it. It was also strange how untouched it seemed, nothing out of place or out of the ordinary. Like she hadn't been gone for so long…

"They practically preserved it," an unfamiliar voice said from behind her and she whirled around to face a stranger.

He had a polite, if a little odd, smile on his face. His brown hair was neatly combed, and he wore a pressed button up shirt and tan slacks, with shoes so clean that Barry idly wondered if she could get anything from them if she were to examine them with her usual tools. She inwardly shook her head, knowing her tendency to be random produced strange thoughts.

The newcomer held out his hand. "I'm Malcolm Thorn. It's nice to meet you…Barry Allen, I'm guessing?"

She gave a hesitant smile. "Yes, that's me. I heard we got a new hire. It's nice to meet you too, Malcolm. Er, if I can call you Malcolm?"

His off smile widened. "Malcolm's fine, if I can call you Barry. I heard you'd woken up. The staff here at the precinct seems quite endeared to you."

She blushed slightly. "I suppose. How do you like working here so far, Malcolm?"

"It's been quite interesting," he answered carefully. "Though I do look forward to working with you and well, under you. You seem to be the utmost authority in this division, and I hope that you will be able to take me under your wing, though I'm just one of the new technicians."

Barry was taken aback by that, and even more so to know he'd been told so and seemed to have been drawn to those conclusions.

"Of course," she agreed. "I wouldn't mind at all. I would definitely be there for you, if you ever need any help."

"I also would like you to know I enjoyed your book very much. It's been very helpful," Malcolm added on, and Barry was flattered as all heck.

"Oh, you found out about it? I didn't think anyone would find and read it after all these years," she said in surprise. "I'm glad you like it too!"

She beamed at him and decided she liked this new guy. He seemed nice and eager to help out, and he even found out and liked her book!

"I hope we become good friends, Malcolm," she told him sincerely.

"So do I," he replied. His smile twitched. "So do I."

* * *

Iris was bored. She didn't really want to work right then, especially since Barry had just woken up and she would prefer to be by her side. But since she was stuck there…

She snuck a blueberry muffin, wanting to eat something as she stress ate, while also have something that reminded her of Barry.

"I hope you're going to pay for that."

The wry tone went over her head as she recognized who it was, instinct leading her to turn and throw herself at the offending person and hug them tightly.

"Whoa, Iris," the grin was easily heard in Barry's voice. "I'm glad you're happy to see me, but no need to cut off my air supply."

But Iris didn't want to let go. For nine months, Barry had been silent and still, and Iris had hated seeing her that way. She wanted to talk to her, say things as she lay in that hospital bed, but having Barry not responding to her made her heart clench and her mouth seal up tightly.

"I missed you," Iris murmured.

"I missed you too," Barry squeezed her tightly before letting go, even though Iris didn't want her to. The taller girl took a step back and Iris reluctantly forced a smile on her face.

She observed her foster sister critically, trying to note any changes or see if she could conclude the current state she was in. Iris knew if she asked, Barry wouldn't answer truthfully or evade if there was something wrong. She had that tendency to not want to make Iris or Joe worry.

Funnily enough, Iris noted that she'd gotten a little taller (or maybe that was just Iris' imagination). Barry's wiry and limber limbs had always fit well with her lean and slender body, and though long-limbed, she had never been lanky. Her tall height had helped to even it out, and Barry's limbs had always looked graceful. She actually  _was_  graceful, probably helped and accentuated through years of ballroom dance lessons (which Iris had never gone for –she'd chosen to get onto a basketball team). The ballet lessons she'd taken when she was younger, when Barry's mother was alive and her father wasn't in prison, had probably helped as well.

Speaking of the ballet lessons, her father had always felt bad that he couldn't continue them when they'd taken Barry in. The place had been too far away and was expensive, and there was no one who could take her there. But there luckily had been a place closer that had taught ballroom and was thankfully cheap and easy for Barry to get to. And when Barry was twelve, her father had at least managed to sign up and bring Barry to a ballet camp, as opposed to the reptile camp she'd strangely wanted to go to…

"You okay, Iris?" Barry asked worriedly.

Iris laughed. "Yeah, just reminiscing."

"Ohh, is someone getting old on me?" Barry teased and Iris swatted at her head, though Barry was quick to duck away, laughing heartedly.

Iris idly reached out and grabbed Barry's hand, holding it just because. Even after all these months, her skin still felt soft…

She laughed again, wondering if she should tease Barry about using the Mermaiden lotion that was so popular with women.

"Let's get out of here, Berrykins," Iris suggested, though she faltered at the rarely used nickname. She preferred using Blue Barry, given Berrykins had been given by someone else…especially who that someone else was…

But then Barry was squeezing her hand and leading her out of the coffee house, and Iris felt a warmth enter her.

She really had missed her best friend.

* * *

Barry had been walking and catching up with Iris for a good twenty minutes by then, when the squeal of tires and sirens was heard. She saw the black car speeding passed and then the police cars chasing it. And then it was a blur as adrenaline charged through her veins, and she narrowly sped Iris aside to miss the police car thrown their way. She didn't think as she sped away from there, after she was sure Iris was okay. She just ran after the black car and quickly managed to get into the speeding vehicle and surprising the driver. But she was just as surprised since the driver was a man she'd been told had died the night she'd been struck by lightning.

Apparently, Clyde Mardon was alive and kicking.

Then the car flipped and Barry just managed to get out, though she'd hurt her ankle while she was at it. But he got out too, and he was unscathed and looking as smug as he was questioning. He twitched his hands and fog streamed around him and then began surrounding the area. She heard screeching tires and looked at the direction the sound was coming from, before doing a quick glance to where Mardon was supposed to be. He was gone.

She looked back to where the screeching tires sounded and saw the car caught unware and crashing into Mardon's crashed car. She scrambled to her feet and rushed over, finding the driver, who was flitting in and out of consciousness. She used her speed to take him quickly out of the car and away from the burning vehicles.

"Hold on, please hold on," she said, panicking.

But when the man stopped breathing, she reigned in her panic as much as she could, and began to perform CPR. After a while, she knew she was too late and a few tears slipped out.

"Barry? Barry!"

Iris ran closer, grabbing her and pulling her away from the man.

"Oh, Barry, it's okay. You tried so hard, there was just nothing you could do," she heard Iris trying to console her, but she couldn't look away from the man she'd failed to save.

"Iris?! Barry!" she heard Joe yelling.

She was pulled away from Iris, who Joe was quick to give a look over but looked much better than Barry, who was completely shaken up.

"What are you two doing here? Iris, you know better! You aren't even a cop! And Barry! You just  _woke up from a coma_. You were just cleared to leave that place. And damn it, you know even Iris is better at protecting herself than you are."

"Dad, come on," Iris tried to interrupt her dad.

"No," Joe said firmly. "Barry's had a history of getting into trouble and getting hurt. She should have run away, and taken you with her while she was it, knowing how stubborn you are."

Though still shaken up over a man dying in front of her and being unable to save him, Barry had to tell Joe what she saw.

"But…but the fog," Barry tried to tell Joe. "The driver –it was Clyde Mardon. And it was like he was controlling the fog –"

"Barry, Mardon's dead. I told you what happened to him. Dead men don't drive cars," Joe was starting to get frustrated.

"You don't understand!" Barry's voice started to get shrill. "I saw him! And I saw what he did –"

"Which is impossible!" Joe shot her down. "Don't do this, Barry. Not this and not now."

"You don't believe me," Barry pursed her lips. " _You never believe me!_ "

Iris winced. "Come on, you two. Why don't we calm down and talk this through?"

But her efforts were in vain as Joe bristled and glared Barry down, who just as angrily glared back.

"You want to do this? You want to do this now? Out here? Fine. Mardon is dead, he can't control some supernatural fog. Your mother died, and your father is the murderer! There was no lightning storm in your living room that night. Just a scared little girl making up fantasies and not wanting to face up to reality. Just a girl wanting to make sense of things, because the truth hurts too much!"

"Dad, enough!" Iris grabbed at Joe's arm, but he shook her off.

"He's  _guilty_ , Barry. He killed your mother. I'm sorry. I know it, the jury knew it, and now he's paying for what he did. It's better you face up to the truth than to believe in your delusion forever. I have done my best to raise you since. I don't ask you for much, I don't ask you for anything. Not even a thank you. But right now, I'm asking you for once in your life, accept what's  _real_."

Barry stared hard at him, and if there were tears in her eyes, no one there said anything. Then she turned on her heel and began to storm away, even with the limp her ankle was troubled with.

* * *

Eddie was uncomfortable after hearing all that, but he'd done his best to sound normal and professional as he gave Joe the sketch, showing the perp…who unfortunately did indeed look like Clyde Mardon, as Barry had suggested.

Even without the weird cases he'd begun to believe in because of Barry, this just seemed too much of a coincidence to be one in the first place.

"Your coffee's going to get cold," he muttered, while shaking his head about it.

Iris huffed angrily, still messing with her phone. "Barry's not answering. I called her phone a dozen times. I called everyone else. No one else knows where she is either."

"Have you tried asking your dad?" Eddie asked hesitantly and immediately regretted it when Iris shot him a scathing look.

"No, of course not," Iris growled. "This is his fault in the first place."

Eddie wisely kept quiet to that. Joe was still his partner after all.

"Ugh! Now there's nothing! She turned her phone off," Iris threw her phone at the table in disgust. But then she began to fret. "But Dad was right about one thing. Barry did just wake up and just left STAR Labs. Is she really okay? What if something happens? And I know I saw that limp!"

She buried her face into her hands and Eddie awkwardly reached over the table to pat her shoulder in comfort. She looked up miserably at him.

"Usually, Barry's the one who worries and mother hens us. She's very careful with herself, and is the mature and responsible one out of the two of us. Three of us actually, because even Dad gets a scolding or two from her. But she does get into the habit of being put into some really bad situations, which because she's always taking care of us, makes us extremely overprotective of her. We don't really tend to trust anyone else with her, or let her do much if we're not sure it'll be safe," Iris admitted.

"She's not really a fighter. Dad tried teaching her, with me as her sparring partner…but that didn't turn out so well. That's why he always tells her to run. Hell, even between the two of us, he's more overprotective over her. It's just that Barry really can't fend for herself, and he knows that I can better. When I was fourteen, I punched the lights out of a guy a grade higher than me for calling me a negro bitch. With me, Dad's never had too much of an issue of knowing I can take care of myself. But Barry…"

Iris frowned, depressingly prodding at her phone. "When she was a freshman, there was a guy named Tony Woodward. He'd picked on her since elementary school, but Homecoming was coming up and he went and asked Barry. Barry wasn't really the popular type, so she was surprised. Even though he picked on her, there wasn't a lot of other prospects and she's always been the type to see or try to see the good in people. She gave him a chance and I thought things were okay. Then Homecoming came and sometime during it, he'd locked her into a cramped closet. She wasn't found until the next morning, and she wouldn't talk about it."

Eddie's blood boiled, and he swore if he ever met this guy, he'd be off duty and wouldn't be doing any arresting. He'd been bullied himself and to know that Barry had gone through something like that made him angry. A girl like her didn't deserve that, but that it was her made it worse and he wished he'd been in the same school and grade as Barry. He wouldn't have let that happen. Damn it,  _he_  would have asked her out to Homecoming…

"I wish she would just answer her phone," Iris snatched her phone off the table to try again.

Eddie bit his lip and looked at his own phone. It was a strange way to get a girl's number, but…

"Maybe I could try?"

* * *

She didn't know why, but she felt like she was starving. She was scarfing down Big Belly burgers like there was no tomorrow, and her fries weren't doing any better.

And well, she wasn't sure what to do now either.

After storming off, upset and hurt, Barry had started to run (with her ankle strangely becoming fine a little before so). She ran until she reached a sign and realized she'd run all the way to Starling City. On one hand, she wouldn't mind going to talk to either Oliver or Felicity, but on the other she just wanted to be alone and…brood, she guessed. Besides, Oliver did enough brooding on his own, for her to not add on with her brooding.

Her phone rang again, and she'd already lost count of how many times it had since she'd left Central City (she momentarily turned it off before guiltily and quickly turning it back on). Most of them had come from Iris, with some sparse ones from Joe. But after a while, even he had started to call even more frequently. Even Singh had called a few times.

There was an unknown number this time. Barry was just going to ignore it like she had been, but against her better judgement she answered. To her surprise, Eddie was on the other line.

"Eddie? Why are you calling me? How'd you get my number?"

"Um…Iris gave it to me. You weren't answering her calls, so I told her I could try. You really should answer though, Barry. Everyone's worried."

Barry winced. She didn't exactly mean to worry anyone. She just wanted to be away, and cool off some steam.

"I'm fine, Eddie," she said gently. "Thanks for calling and checking. I'm sorry for worrying you and Iris. Please tell Iris I'm alright and not to worry."

"Er, there are other people worried too –"

"I'm not talking to Joe," she said flatly.

Eddie cleared his throat. "I wasn't talking about him."

Barry scrunched up her eyebrows, before hesitatingly continuing. "Um, if somehow Iris incited a panic over me…particularly around the precinct…please insist I'm alright and disregard Iris."

"I'll try?"

"Yeah, thanks," Barry muttered. "I've gotta go now, Eddie. See you soon."

Iris' voice was suddenly heard. "Don't you hang up, Barry –!"

But Barry did hang up. Idly, she had a funny thought that they might have traced her phone, but then she shook her head. They wouldn't do that…

Elsewhere…

"Ugh! I can't believe her!" Iris shouted.

Eddie looked at her sheepishly, just as Gibbons looked over the shoulder of one of Barry's fellow CSI.

"Please tell me you traced that, Edwards," Anderson glared at the poor CSI worker.

"I got it!" the man squeaked. "Um…says here she's in…Starling City?"

"How the hell did she get to Starling City that fast?" Iris stared at him.

Edwards shrugged at the rest of them.

"Barry's the genius CSI, not me."

But back with Barry, her appetite was starting (finally) to slow down, and she decided on getting dessert. As she was enjoying an ice cream sundae, a well-dressed man came closer to her table.

"Hello, I was hoping I could take this seat? The place is filled," he gave a polite smile.

Looking around, she realized he was right. Nodding, she smiled at him and gestured at the seat. After he sat down, he introduced himself.

"I'm Al Sa-Her."

For some reason, that kind of rung a bell with her. Shrugging the feeling off, Barry continued to smile.

"I'm Barry," she introduced herself in turn.

"It's nice to meet you," he inclined his head. "Forgive my intrusion, but I can't help but notice that you seem to be…upset perhaps?"

Barry hesitated, not sure if she wanted to say anything, especially to a stranger. But she'd really like to say something to someone…

"I got upset with family," she decided to stick with. "Right now, I'm kind of just not talking or speaking to anyone."

"Except comfort eating in this restaurant with a stranger?"

At his smirk, she blushed and nodded. He lost his smirk suddenly though.

"Take it from me. I've been estranged from my son and daughter. Family is important. Family is  _always_  important."

Barry looked at him curiously, though inwardly she felt all her anxiety and tension release. She also understood where he was coming from, and felt calmer and more willing to talk to Joe.

Before she could open her mouth and also try to say something comforting about his own family, he leaned over the table and reached behind her ear, producing a coin behind it. She gaped at him. He was back to smirking and tossed the coin at her, and she caught it.

"Cheer up," he told her. "Things will work out, I'm sure. Do what you need to do. Just make sure to know your convictions and be willing to do whatever it takes for them. Do not lose sight," his tone turned serious and caught her off guard.

"I…I see," she refrained from gulping.

But then he smiled and flicked his wrist, a spoon appearing in his hand. He reached over and scooped some of her ice cream.

"I believe your ice cream is melting. Best not to let it, yes?"

She nodded slowly, even as she stared in awe.

"You're…you're like a magician!"

He laughed lightly. "I am, aren't I?"

Later, when he left, she was surprised to see a number on a napkin near her plate.

_Call if you ever need advice._

* * *

Barry walked around, watching as the night descended. She still wasn't up to returning to Central City, though she really wanted to talk to Oliver. And yet, she still didn't want to burden him with her problems.

Then her phone rang and she sighed. Taking it out, she saw Felicity's number and answered.

"Felicity?"

"About time. Why are you just wandering around the city?"

Barry moved her phone away and gaped at it. Then she put it back to her ear.

"How did you know that?! How did you even know I was in the city?"

"I heard you were awake and tried to call earlier. You didn't answer and Oliver and I got worried. I traced your cell to here, so I hacked the cameras around the city."

Barry winced and shook her head at the blonds. "You and Oliver," she muttered. "Look, I'm…fine. I got upset with family and made my way here. And…other stuff happened," Barry's shoulders slumped.

"…Oliver says to meet him. I'll send you the address, okay? I probably won't get to see you, but we'll make time to do something."

Barry smiled slightly. "Yeah, okay. I'll see Oliver and I miss you too, Felicity."

"I'm glad you're awake," the IT girl whispered.

Feeling warm, Barry muttered off a bye and hung up. Not too long after, she received a text that had the location she was supposed to meet Oliver at. Rolling her eyes at the fact it had to be a rooftop, she sped her way there. The blond was typically lounging on the rooftop edge, all decked out in his green archer outfit.

"Hey, Ollie," she smiled brightly at the archer, happy to see him again.

His lips moved up and he gave her a fond look. "Barry. Good to see you awake and walking around."

Giving him a sheepish look, she walked over and leaned against the rooftop's border, next to Oliver's hanging legs.

"I'm glad the mask fits," she looked up and observed it on his face.

He gave a half-smirk. "'Course it did. You made it."

She laughed and he joined in. After a moment, things quieted between them and Oliver quietly stared her down, while she fidgeted under his gaze.

"I…" she swallowed, "When the lightning struck me, I was out for nine months. It was scary waking up and finding that out, and wondering what had changed around me. I felt like everyone and everything had just moved on and I wouldn't be able to fit back in. And then to further find out that I…The lightning somehow gave me powers. I can speed around so fast, like I was in Central City and managed to get here to Starling practically just like that."

And Barry did a demonstration, shooting off from her spot to the other side of the rooftop, stopping there, and then speeding back to Oliver's side. His eyes widened.

"It was crazy. I couldn't believe I could do that. But it was also exciting and exhilarating," Barry confessed. "And I thought, I'm finally fast enough to do something before it's too late. But that's not true. I…I was with Iris when there was a speeding car that went by us. The police were chasing it, but couldn't get to him. I caught up and stopped his vehicle, but he had powers too. He could create and control fog, and the area became so dense with it that it was hard to see. And another car crashed into his car, and the perp got away and I tried to help the driver of the car. I got him out, but…he stopped breathing," Barry sniffled and viciously wiped at her eyes. "He stopped breathing and I tried CPR, but nothing worked! I couldn't save him!"

Oliver was silent for a second, before heavily landing a hand on her shoulder.

"I have been doing this for a while, Barry, and I've made mistakes. When, not if, you do this, you will end up making mistakes as well. You just have to pick yourself up and learn from them. You may be fast now, but you can still end up tripping." Then Oliver grinned slightly. "And didn't you tell me how you've been searching for the impossible all your life? Something to prove something happened that night, with your mother? And look at you now. You  _are_  the impossible, Barry."

"I don't know if I have what it takes to be a hero," she looked down on the ground.

Oliver jumped off the border and stepped closer to her, framing her face with his hands and lifting it up. When he had her looking into his face, he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure fourteen days in Starling City traipsing off with me and helping with my crew, even without powers, is enough to brand you a hero. You're not just the girl who was struck by lightning.  _I think the lightning chose you for a reason._ "

She gave him a brief smile, her spirits lifting. "You…really think I can be a vigilante like you?"

Oliver chuckled. "No way. You? You can be so much better. You can be what I can't. You're a  _guardian angel_ , Barry. You're going to move through your city and make a difference, saving lives. Hell, I bet your city will  _love_ you. Starling's just about had it with me," he grinned roguishly, causing Barry to giggle.

She leaned into him and he let her, with her sighing.

"Like old times, huh," he moved his fingers through her hair. "Although you might want to do something with your hair. You keep speeding everywhere, it'll stay windblown. Or people will assume it's sex hair."

Barry turned slightly and hit his arm, though she bit her lip from voicing her pain. His arm was muscled and that hurt.

"You've got a good heart. Now you've fast legs," he murmured, pulling her into his side again.

She inhaled sharply at that, remembering her mother's words. A small smile settled onto her face and she closed her eyes, seeing her mother's proud figure.

"Up for a night of vigilantism?" Oliver tugged at her hair, and she looked up to see him with a teasing smile. She blinked, and he hooked a foot around a duffle bag behind him, pulling it closer to them. "While I'll remind you to take your own advice –wear a mask –you can do that back home."

Barry practically squealed as she dove for the duffle bag. She pulled out a familiar compound bow and a red leather outfit similar to Oliver's.

"Hood up, Red Hood," Oliver teased.

"Ugh, don't call me that!" Barry pouted. "That's so lame and unoriginal."

Oliver snickered. "Well, I'm the original – _The_ Hood. You're my sidekick in red. Hence,  _Red_ Hood."

"Aren't they calling you The Arrow now?" Barry griped, switching her jeans for the leather red pants. Oliver turned away, still snickering. "Why can't I be Red Arrow? It sounds better!"

"Gotta work your way up, Barry. I started as The Hood, and so are you."

Barry wrinkled up her nose, finishing zipping up the vest. "There's already a Red Hood. A  _bad guy_. Batman's bad guy. And wasn't the Joker originally named the Red Hood?"

"Different people, different times," Oliver brushed it off. "Blame the media. Now let's get going. How's your camp slash collegiate archery skills?" he teasingly asked the familiar question.

"Still rusty," she replied dryly.

"Good," he said smugly. "You better start moving…in a flash."

"Ohh, I like that! Even if you  _are_  being cheesy though."

Oliver tossed her her quiver, and she put it on, keeping a tight grip on her compound bow. He shot an arrow at a building, with a cable trailing behind it.

"Ready to go, Little Red?" he kept teasing her.

Barry gave him a disgusted look. "Don't do that. I'll feel like even more of Little Red Riding Hood than I want to be."

Oliver just laughed at her and swung on the cable, leaving her behind. She huffed and followed, speeding after him.

Started 7/5/15 – Completed 7/9/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I lied about finishing the pilot episode in this chapter XD Definitely next chapter though. I blame all the extra stuff I added in. And the fact that I've practically shoved the show over a cliff…Er, I hope everyone liked this crazy chapter and please review?
> 
> Quick Points:
> 
> 1\. The Eobard Chronicles: Eh, I'll be working on this on the side. It'll just chronicle all of Eobard's different timelines with Barry, and will make the memories in here make more sense and more emotional, than mysterious.
> 
> 2\. Arrow: I know I was going to have more elements (and characters i.e. Oliver and Felicity) show up more than in canon, but they've hijacked the fic and gotten even more screentime than I thought they would. Also, I've become obsessed with you know who, and he demanded a spot in this story. So…yeah…
> 
> 3: Red Hood: Mwahaha! Yep. Barry was off running around with the Arrow gang as a vigilante. Also, her Red Hood is more of a homage to Roy Harper's (future) daughter (with Chesire), Lian Harper, than –you know –Batman's Red Hood. Also, Lian's Red Hood design was based off of Little Red Riding Hood XD
> 
> 4\. Playlist:
> 
> Chapter V:  
> 70 Moves by David O'Dowda  
> Radioactive by Jona Selle (Imagine Dragons cover)  
> Llovera by Mia Maestro  
> Cold by Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz


	6. The Cloudless Sky III

Harrison wasn't quite sure what was wrong. At this point, he was sure that Barry would have, after a fight with Joe that she would later tell him about, stomp into STAR Labs and demand their help into subduing the new metahuman she'd come across.

But…she had also felt upset and hurt to know that there were others with powers like her and that they'd lied –this time he'd told her about them already.

He watched Cisco and Caitlin move on with their work, studying the data they'd collected on Barry and trying to make sense of things. His finger tapped against his thigh in agitation, and he was hoping this was a change he'd made for the better (and wouldn't come back to haunt him).

He remembered last time…She was confronted by Joe, fled straight to them to confront them and find out about the metahumans, and then gone storming off to…Starling…

Harrison clenched his hand, stopping his finger from tapping.

Could she have gone straight to Starling instead? It was possible, since instead of being surprised by Clyde Mardon's presence and new ability (and therefore coming to them), something must've triggered in her to go to somewhere else with another matter.

He waited patiently until Cisco and Caitlin had left, and as even then Barry had yet to show up, he decided enough was enough. He took out the phone he owned and called her, deciding that if she would not come to him, then he would get her to.

"Hello?" her confused voice sounded over the phone.

"Barry, this is Dr. Wells," he said, unsure if he should have used the name he'd allowed her to use instead.

"Dr. –H-Harrison," she stumbled over his name, though she still sounded confused. "How'd you get my number?"

"I memorized it," he joked slightly, though it was rather true. It wasn't like her number had changed in any of the timelines. "But seriously, we have it on record, along with your foster father and sister's."

"Oh," she sounded faintly embarrassed. "Um, is there something you needed, Harrison?"

"There was something I needed to talk to you about. I was hoping you could come to the lab right now?"

"Alright, I'll be there. I just entered the city limits and was walking when you called."

Harrison frowned to himself, confirming that Barry had probably gone to Starling City. "City limits?" he asked anyway, making himself sound puzzled.

"Ah, well…I was just in Starling City for a bit. But now I'm back and I'll see you in a few, okay?" she sounded a little hesitant before she hung up.

He pulled his phone back from his ear and continued to frown down at it. However, just moments later, Barry appeared and was giving him a small smile. Returning it with one of his usual faint ones, he gestured for her to take a seat.

"Is something wrong?" she asked nervously, and he thought fast on how he was going to phrase what he had to say.

Last time, he had told her dismissively that she shouldn't be off playing hero and to not put herself on the line. This was a job for the police, not her, and that she was nothing special –just a girl hit by lightning.

This time, he didn't want to repeat that mistake. He didn't want to push her away, even though he really didn't want her going through this again. Even as vestiges of hate lingered in the back of his mind, the image of her dulled eyes and broken body was what stayed to the forefront of his mind nowadays.

"I remember you telling everyone how much you really wanted to do good with your powers," he started out, and faltered at the soft smile he'd gained from her as he said that. "I admire that. I just…"

At his hesitation, her smile wavered and she looked at him uneasily. He tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"You  _can_ do good with your powers," he told her. "There are so many secrets within you that can be unlocked. Vaccines, medicines, genetic therapies…little treasures inside your cells that can be the key to miracles. Barry, I have lost  _everything_. But then I found you."

Similar, some same words –if rewarded or phrased differently…but this time around, Harrison felt like he needed to be careful in how he talked to her. No…it was that he needed to be very clear with her and to not push her right away from the beginning. He needed to establish that connection, not just for her sake but his as well.

He wasn't sure how he was going to live without any form of a connection with her, as he'd come to be used to in every "lifetime" he's known her.

"I think I know what you meant and what you want to do with your powers," he said quietly, looking her straight in the eyes. She flinched. "And…I would ask you not to. I don't want you to take any risks. I don't want you to go play hero, Barry. I don't  _want_  you to be a hero," he ended, feeling inspired to add that line and having let slip some unwanted emotions in that.

Her hand slowly reached out to grasp his, and he startlingly looked up at her.

"I just want to help people," she said sincerely, with an imploring look.

"And you can," he told her firmly. "From inside the lab. You can be a hero from in here." At her hesitant look, he gave one last push. "I'm tired of losing so many people, Barry. I lost many people the night of the particle accelerator…I lost Tess…I'm not prepared to lose another person I've just begun to care about."

And when he saw her deflate, he knew he'd won this time, surprising him at the outcome. Maybe this time he could get Barry to become fast, without her having to face so many villains to push her. Maybe he could even train her to the point where by the time she did face them, she was ready and could beat them all easily.

He hated how she had to usually always go through trial and error every life, just to become the fast and powerful Flash he'd come to remember her as. He hated how he had to go through so much trial and error to get her to each point.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, Harrison," she murmured. She brightened up slightly, "Maybe you could find whatever in me that could…that could heal your legs."

Harrison had thought of that before, but had always thought it would come out invasive and might ruin his plans. But Barry had never been the one who suggested it before…

"Who knows, maybe it'll help you and then you can find a way to get it to help others, and people might not be so angry anymore," she continued, and Harrison's mind flashed through the possibilities.

It wasn't necessarily a priority of his to win back the graces of the people, but it would win over Barry and it would make life easier…

"Then we'll just have to see what we can find," he gave a faint smile.

* * *

With the conflicting thoughts in her head, because of the two conflicting conversations she had with Oliver and Dr. Wells, Barry had a hard time thinking. Instead of leaving STAR Labs, she wandered around and eventually came to the area where the particle accelerator had exploded.

She wanted to help people with her powers. Oliver said she could, that he believed she'd be a guardian angel for her city. But Dr. Wells – _Harrison_ …he was afraid of losing someone again, and she didn't want to make that fear come true.

But what could she do?

" _Things will work out, I'm sure. Do what you need to do. Just make sure to know your convictions and be willing to do whatever it takes for them. Do not lose sight."_

Suddenly, the words from that man echoed into her head. She felt her convictions strengthen and solidify, and she sped back into the Cortex, looking determined. She'd startled Dr. Wells, she could see, and took him away from whatever thoughts he was having. Nothing easy on the mind, if the previous look on his face said something.

"Barry?" he questioned her.

"I know I said alright and I really don't want you to feel bad or to be scared of losing someone else…but I  _have_  to do this. I don't want to let people get hurt and lose someone, like you have, so if I can just do something to prevent that, I will. Please…Harrison."

He gave a slight grimace, before he sighed and nodded. He tapped the computer monitor in front of him. "Let me just start tracking any meteorological abnormalities over the city, and maybe we can find your man."

She gave him a bright smile, and suddenly they were working together. By the time Cisco and Caitlin had come in for work, Barry and Harrison were well into their tracking and monitoring the police lines just in case they had any sightings or leads.

"Oookay," Cisco said once Barry had caught them up. "So we're catching bad guys? Cool. But if we're doing this, let me show you something that might help. I've got a suit you can wear that'll let you travel at your speed and not burn up your clothes!"

Cisco led the way, with Barry following him. Caitlin quietly took Barry's place next to Harrison, continuing the monitoring.

"Well, at least she won't be facing Mardon naked," Caitlin quipped, giving a small sad smile.

Unfortunately, that put an image in Harrison's head that he barely refrained from showing a reaction on his face. He had always had a problem with a naked Barry Allen, especially considering that the few times they'd lived together, she tended to walk around half-naked in the hot summer.

"I'm sure Cisco has come up with a suitable outfit that will help Barry," he said instead, keeping his eyes focused on the screen.

The first time she'd done that, he was twenty five and had just come to her time and out from a rigid society that was all about repression. His instant hard-on had made her laugh and had been quite embarrassing.

Also ironic was that while he'd been twenty five, she'd been thirty. Now the tables are flipped and he was the older one.

"I think I got a hit!" Caitlin cried out, and Barry sped back into the Cortex with Cisco rushing after.

Barry was now dressed in the new suit, which hugged her figure. A rather unfortunate effect of her chest with the suit was that the zipper couldn't go all the way up and therefore stopped  _at_ her chest, leaving the rest opened and cleavage to be shown.

"I will adjust that," Cisco coughed, while Caitlin rolled her eyes. "…Once I get your sizes."

Harrison immediately tore his eyes away before anyone could notice his staring. Damn Barry Allen and damn her for always making him feel like a teenager. He was also quite sure that suit had fit better and was bigger last time, and it was just his luck if this was Time being a bitch and adding in another thing to mess with him.

"So where's Mardon?" Barry brought their focus back at hand.

Harrison took a deep breath. Well, he'd had several experiences with these events. He can lead and mentor her once again.

"The location shows that he's at…"

* * *

She could feel the winds picking up before she even got to the exact location. It was how she knew that she was spot on, more so as she caught sight of the debris heading towards Joe and Eddie and only moved just in time to knock it out of the way.

Feeling constricted with the gas mask on, she ripped it off and then stared in horrified fascination at the growing tornado in front of her.

"Oh damn," she muttered.

"Barry, can you hear me?" Cisco's voice in her ear made her focus again.

"Yeah, loud and clear, Cisco," she winced, still staring at the tornado.

"Wind speeds are clocking 200 mph and increasing," Caitlin told her anxiously. "If it continues, we'll have a level EF-5 tornado on our hands."

"How do I stop it then?" Barry tried not to panic. When she heard nothing, she assumed that they had no clue and were scrambling around for a solution. "What if I unravel it?"

"How are you going to do that?" Cisco sounded incredulous.

"Run…run around it in the opposite direction," Barry's eyes rapidly darted back and forth as she watched the tornado. "Cut off its legs."

"You'd have to clock 500 mph," Caitlin's anxiety seemed to have upped. "Your body may not be able to handle those speeds.  _You'll die, Barry_."

Barry looked at the tornado.

"… _Do what you need to do. Just make sure to know your convictions and be willing to do whatever it takes for them. Do not lose sight."_

"I have to try," Barry practically growled out, eyes set determinedly on the tornado (and unknowingly to her, sparking with lightning).

She dashed towards it and began running opposite the tornado, but the winds were so strong and she saw Mardon, who aimed a tendril of wind at her and she flew back, crashing to the ground and rolling away.

"It's too strong," she gasped out. What was she going to do?

"Barry? Can you hear me?" she suddenly heard Harrison's quiet voice talk to her. "I believe in you, Barry. I believe you can do this. I help create this madness. So please help me stop it. You are more than your speed, Barry.  _You can do this_." She heard him take a deep breath. "Now run, Barry, run!"

And she did. She ran like she never had before, not even when she'd gotten these new powers. Someone believed in her, for once, when all she'd known her entire life was disbelief. She didn't want to disappoint him.

So with his words echoing in her mind, along with a quiet undercurrent of Al Sa-Her's grim guidance, Barry ran like hell and didn't look back until she had unraveled that tornado and tore it down to nothing.

She was winded and trying to catch her breath, but she had done it and she felt proud of what she had managed to do. But then she saw Mardon and inwardly groaned.

"You…I didn't think there was anyone else out there like me," he said, watching her as he pointed a gun at her.

"I'm not," she denied. "Because I'm not a murderer."

And she gazed at him defiantly, even as he pointed the gun even more firmly in her direction, only to be shot from behind by Joe.

"Barry? Barry, are you okay?" she heard Cisco, but she could only see Joe staring at her in shock.

She did the only thing she could. She ran away from him like a coward. But she didn't want to face him or his reaction, not after everything. So she ran and ended up at the West home, where she pulled off the cowl of her uniform and took deep breaths. Maybe she should have gone to her apartment, but it was small and lonely, and she wanted a familiar environment –a place where she'd grown up in and remembered happier days.

"B-Barry?"

She whirled around and found Iris by the entrance, holding onto a pink box that she recognized from the bakery they loved going to. Iris was staring at her in shock and Barry realized she must've seen her speed in. She almost groaned aloud.

"You…you just…" Iris tried to get out.

Barry shook her head and looked at her in remorse. She didn't want to get into this with Iris either.

She ran again, only this time she wasn't sure where to go. She let instinct guide her and before long she saw she was in front of STAR Labs. She didn't want to talk to anyone, and she knew she hadn't exactly confirm her okay with Cisco earlier, so she pulled her cowl back on and spoke to him.

"Cisco?"

"Oh thank God. You weren't answering!" he was first relieved and then accusing.

"Joe saw me and I freaked out," she explained. "Then Iris saw me and I freaked out even more."

"Where are you?" Caitlin asked.

Barry frowned, staring at the entrance of the building. "…Just wandering around," she decided on. She wanted to just be alone. She'd always dealt with things like this on her own. She hadn't ever involved anyone…

Speeding into STAR Labs, she went back to where the destroyed part of the building was still laying in waste and stared down at it, before she turned around and slid to the ground, curling her knees up to her chest.

Barry didn't know how long she'd ended up like that, but she was surprised anyway to hear the starting to become familiar noise of a certain someone's wheelchair. And when she looked up, she saw Harrison Wells himself.

"I thought you'd be here," he said slightly teasingly. He wheeled himself close, turning his chair sideways and parking it. To her surprise and dismay, he lifted himself off it and lowered himself onto the ground, eventually maneuvering himself to sit next to her. Though she expected him to say something right away, he didn't, and for a few moments they stayed like that silently.

"You know, every time I come to this place, I'm reminded of how responsible I really am for all this. So many people, Barry. So many have been hurt because of me. And when I look at you, sometimes I see another potential victim of my hubris," he shifted to look at her.

"You aren't," she reassured him quietly, looking back at him. "It feels like I've gained something I've been missing all these years. Like I'm finally complete. And I don't regret meeting you or the others, even after being put into a coma. In fact…didn't you know? I've always wanted to meet you face to face," she gained a little cheer, giving him a halfhearted cheeky look.

"Yeah?" his lips went slightly up. "You certainly went to great lengths to do it."

"Better than if I was a stalker and did something weird like steal your underwear."

He chuckled and shook his head, reaching somewhere behind his wheelchair and revealing a bag of blueberries. He placed it between them.

"I heard these were your favorite," he grabbed one and ate it. She looked at him in surprise. "Your family talked about you a lot when you were in a coma."

At the mention of her family, her smile went into a fixture of both sad and happy.

"I guess you know a lot about me already, much more than I would of you," she mused aloud, taking a few blueberries and eating them.

"You are always welcome to find out more about me," he fully smiled at her. "There's time enough, and I'm sure there's plenty more for me to find out about you."

Her cheeks warmed slightly, and she gazed down at her lap.

"Sometimes…we're hardest on people we care about the most," Harrison told her quietly. "It is hard to not become upset when they could or had been in any sort of danger."

She looked up at him, and he gave a knowing look. Seeing that he did have questions in his look, she went back to staring at her lap.

"Joe's like this," Barry started in a mutter. "He's never believed me in anything. Whether it's those weird cases I know I get obsessed with, all the way starting to what I know I saw the night Mom died. But then he doesn't even believe  _in_ me when I try and say I could do something. He gets overprotective like that, and sometimes it's just easier to go along with him and not pursue whatever it is I'd wanted. And Iris…I love her, but I know even she doesn't really believe me. Mostly she gets indulgent, but sometimes she gets patronizing and I hate those times the most. I know that they –I don't doubt they love me and care, it just really  _hurts_  when they don't believe me or in me."

Harrison made an agreeing sort of noise, and she missed the look he gave to the entrance to the hall, where they'd both had come from.

"I'm really sorry, Barry. I didn't know I got like that," she heard Iris' voice, and Barry's head snapped up.

Both Iris and Joe stood at the entrance, looking remorseful as they watched her carefully.

"I think that's my cue," Harrison said lightly, and moved to get himself back on his chair. Barry scrambled up to help him, taking one of his arms and putting it over her shoulders as she helped him into the wheelchair carefully. He snagged the bag of blueberries from the floor and waved it at her. "You get to have more of these  _after_ you've talked with your family."

She watched him wheel out before her gaze snapped hesitantly to her family, who stood watching her.

* * *

"Soooo…how'd it go?" Harrison heard Cisco ask as soon as he entered the Cortex.

"As well as it could, I suppose," he said in a careful tone. "We'll just let them talk it out, and hope for the best."

Caitlin hmmed an agreement, shifting through some things that neither of the other two recognized.

"Whatcha looking at?" Cisco asked Caitlin, leaning around her to see.

Harrison, curious himself, wheeled closer.

"Just some old things that belonged to Hartley," she said absentmindedly. "I found a box of his things he must've forgotten to get, when he left us."

Harrison's hands clenched, and he was ready to intervene, just in case Hartley's things might have included something incriminating.

"Woah, is that –?" Cisco gaped.

Despite himself, Harrison went to see what provoked that reaction from the other, only to see a strange and unexpected photo of Hartley and…

"Holy crud, Barry's Hartley's dance partner he used to talk about sometimes?" Cisco exclaimed.

"I always thought it was a guy," Caitlin admitted, looking taken aback as well.

Harrison, not checking his reaction like usual, could only stare in shock at the photo. Since  _when_  did Barry and Hartley become dance partners? He never remembered that happening, nor did he remember the two becoming friends prior to Barry getting her powers. Maybe at one point after, after some time, the two would eventually reach a truce if not become sort of friends later on…but this…

"Man, this is like fate!" Cisco said eagerly. "Like we were all destined to meet each other or something."

This was the point, despite such a small and rather hilarious change it was, that Harrison realized he'd lost control of things and that there were way too many changes –small or large –that were happening and convoluting things.

* * *

Barry felt awkward standing there in front of them, especially having said what she did to Harrison. For what felt like forever, they just stood there in front of each other, before Joe took a step forward and looked at Barry regretfully.

"I know I haven't been the best at encouraging you," Joe said. "And I know that I haven't been supportive. I don't like the idea of you just…leaving the nest. Iris and I…you know how we feel about you and how much we prefer to keep you close and we just want you safe. After everything that happened…And all these years, I believed your father was guilty. I didn't want you to believe in some fantasy I thought you came up with, because I felt one day…one day you'd finally realize the truth and it'd hurt you real bad. I didn't want you to break.

"I'm sorry, Barry. I'm sorry for what I said that day, and I'm sorry for what I've always been saying. You're as much a daughter to me as Iris, and I don't want you to be hurt and I don't want to be the one to hurt you," Joe finished, and hesitantly opened up his arms.

Barry sniffled and then stepped into them, feeling Joe's arms encase around her. She hugged him tightly, and not too long after she felt smaller and slimmer arms slip from behind her, and Iris was hugging her from behind.

"I'm sorry too, Barr," Iris's voice tickled her neck. "You know I never want to make you feel bad. You've always been my precious Blue Barry."

Barry took a shuddering breath and held her family closer to her, and wished her father was there too.

It was such a dream, but she really would have been happy to have had her mother in that group embrace as well.

* * *

She was exhausted. Physically and emotionally. After the fight with Mardon, talking it out with Joe and Iris had been exhausting, and the three of them had all but trekked out of there tiredly and still holding onto each other (the STAR Labs trio didn't say anything, but for some reason they were giving her odd looks). At the same time she felt like a load had been lifted off her shoulders. However, now all she wanted to do was collapse onto her bed and sleep undisturbed for a long while.

So when she opened her apartment door and entered, she wasn't expecting or wanting to deal with someone else in there.

"Hello?" she squeaked.

Of all people, the new CSI hire she met stared back, the book he was reading slipping from his hands. The blue crystal hanging around his neck swayed slightly as he turned more towards her.

"Barry?" Malcolm asked in confusion.

But quickly, and almost at the same time, they understood the circumstance and uttered in unison.

"You're the old owner," Malcolm stated.

"I lost the apartment," Barry sighed.

Stupid nine month coma.

"I didn't touch your things," he said immediately, and he looked a lot more normal with the casual clothes and without the weird smile. "I left everything as is, since I did actually figure out this was your apartment months ago, with some of your pictures laying around. You caught me off guard just now, but I was going to mention it to you at work. I've been living out of my bags," he muttered, gesturing to the pile of duffle bags to the side.

She scratched the back of her head. "Ah, well, thanks, Mal," she shortened his name without thinking, though by the pleased smile he wore, he didn't look like he minded. "It's your apartment now, so I'll just find some time during the week to pack up my things."

"You don't have to," he said quickly. "You can stay here, if you want. It was your apartment first."

"No, it's alright –it's probably time for me to go apartment hunting anyway," she gave a small grin. She was really tired though…

"But can I –"

"–at least stay the night?"

They both blinked at each other, also strangely at the same time.

Barry laughed. "Wow, it's like we're twins!"

Malcolm gained a strange glint in his eye, and his lips moved into a half-smirk. "We could pass as ones: same colored hair, light eyes, similar skin complexions…"

Barry studied him thoughtfully. "We're around the same height too."

"Did you know we have the same birthday?" he oddly sounded eager.

Her eyes widened a bit. "Really? That's amazing! And now we work in the same field and same job!"

She was starting to not feel tired anymore and wanted to talk to Malcolm, find out what else they had in common. It was amazing really. She guessed the mythos of having some kind of twin of yourself out in the world, even not blood related, was true.

They talked longer, though eventually they had to go to sleep because they had work the next day. Actually he did, but she had the next day off, courtesy of Singh. She was still going to tag along, because she was bored and not sure what to do with her time. Still, though it wasn't hers anymore, she missed this bed and was grateful Malcolm let her have it.

When morning came around, she tiredly got up and went to go set up the coffee before she got ready for work. By the sound of it, Malcolm was already up. Heading to the apartment's kitchen, she robotically made coffee, before yawning and facing Malcolm. He was staring at her before he went back to his bowl, where he began to rapidly whisk the pancake mix.

"Pancakes okay?" he muttered.

"Yeah," she answered, slightly confused.

Barry rubbed her eyes, yawning again, before she glanced down at herself. Ah. So that's why he acted oddly. She laughed sheepishly.

"When it's hot, I tend to take off my clothes at night in my sleep," she explained, embarrassed at being in her underwear.

She turned on her heel and began to whistle nonchalantly, trying not to look like she was dashing back into her old room.

Well, at least she didn't sleep walk too.

* * *

For being her semi-twin, Malcolm didn't get them late like she usually ended up as. Maybe because they weren't really related that he didn't have her tardy disposition? Whatever it was, if she was working, she would be exactly on time to work. They both headed into the station, where she was greeted by many of the others.

She saw Eddie see them, his handsome face brightening up at the sight of her, although he did glance oddly at Malcolm by her side.

"Morning, you two. Strange to see you early, Barry, though you're not supposed to be working yet anyway, right? You guys came in together?" Eddie smiled widely, though he kept glancing at Malcolm, whose expression was back to being off.

"No, I get back to work tomorrow," she said, glancing subtly between the two.

"I live in her old place," Malcolm said suddenly, his off smile widening. "She came by last night and stayed over, so we decided to head to work together. We felt it was easier that way."

Barry nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's basically it," she agreed with his summarization.

Eddie still stared though, except his gaze finally shifted to Malcolm completely. Barry, looking again between the two and seeing the weird interaction, was sure there was something up between them. But before she could put any more thought to it, she heard Singh call out for her. Looking towards his office, she saw him leaning around the door and looking at her with a pinched look.

Worried and wondering what was wrong, she quickly said bye to the men beside her and scurried towards the Captain. Without another word, he pulled her quickly inside, and closed the door. She blinked at him, before he turned and looked elsewhere, prompting her to look to where he was looking.

She gulped at the intimidating but pretty African American woman standing in some of the highest heels Barry had ever seen.

"Barry Allen? Pleased to finally meet you," she smiled slowly, and it set off warning bells in Barry's head. "I'm Amanda Waller and I'd like to talk to you about this."

Waller stepped away from the TV set behind her and she clicked something on the remote in her hand, which began playing a familiar scene on the screen.

"Oh," Barry said faintly. "I forgot about the camera."

Why the hell did the police cars have to come with cameras and why the hell did it have to be pointed at her?

Started 7/12/15 – Completed 7/15/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm satisfied with how the Joe/Iris/Barry talk came out, but I knew I was originally expecting it to be longer and have more stuff. Eh, it's alright. Next chapter will have some more Arrow stuff, and even more changes from the show. I hope everyone enjoyed, so please review!
> 
> Quick Points:
> 
> 1\. Al Sa-Her: This guy. He refuses to stay away. In fact, he made me listen to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Think Up Anger (Nirvana cover) on repeat and then write a scene with him and Barry that won't even appear until a few chapters after this one. Probably. Damn you, man! Aren't you supposed to be in Corto Maltese at this point in time?
> 
> 2\. Hartley Rathaway: …This headcanon appeared to me weeks ago. For a separate fic. And now it's just headcanon all the time XD Hartley decided to take dancing lessons, got paired up with Barry, and so they became dancing partners. What have I done?
> 
> 3\. Malcolm: The more I write this guy, the more of a sister complex he seems to form XD I think he's probably yandere character, who was initially tsundere. I can hear Placebo's "Post Blue" playing in the background.
> 
> 4\. The Eobard Chronicles/ Spring and Winter, May and December: Eobard Chronicles, a side story to this, is now up. Spring and Winter will a different and separate story altogether that'll feature fem!Barry and original Harrison Wells.


	7. Early Morning, Cold Taxi

Waller gestured for Barry to take a seat, and both Singh and Barry did on the seats before Singh’s desk, where Waller took Singh’s seat behind the desk.

“Don’t be alarmed,” Waller reassured her.

Barry wasn’t reassured at all.

“I’ve known and kept tabs on you since you became associated with The Arrow and became the Red Hood,” Waller spoke carefully, though that caused Barry to freeze up. She also glanced at Singh, who looked taken aback and gave her an intent look that Barry avoided returning.

“Don’t call me that,” Barry muttered, but she was ignored.

Waller kept smiling. “This new development has caused myself and my organization great interest. You see, I have need of someone with your talents.”

And suddenly the name Amanda Waller clicked with Barry, and she remembered everything Oliver had told her about the woman and all the warnings he had for her to avoid Waller and keep away.

“I’m not joining your Suicide Squad or becoming one of your operatives,” Barry blurted out, causing Waller to chuckle ominously (well, it sounded ominous to her) while Singh looked at her in alarm.

“It’s ‘Task Force X,’” Waller corrected her. “And you will become one of my operatives. Because the moment you were found out, we retrieved your father from prison and he’s currently in a safe place.”

Barry saw red and flashed from her seat to snatch Waller by the woman’s front and slam her against the wall behind her, rattling Singh’s things.

“WHERE IS MY DAD?!” Barry practically roared, though she was thankful the blinds were closed.

“Allen, calm down!” though Singh’s eyes were wide at the display of power, adding to the fuel that came with the video he’d witnessed, but also at the uncharacteristic anger from Barry. Barry didn’t get angry like this, though he could understand with the threat involved.

“You wouldn’t want to do that, Miss Allen,” Waller said calmly.

A red dot appeared on Barry’s neck, and Barry and Singh turned to see where it was coming from. A man with a peculiar eyepiece slid out from his hiding place, scowling heavily.

“Are you faster than a bullet, Miss Allen? Fast enough to even catch it? In any case, even if you had taken me out, I assure you, ARGUS would still be in possession of your father. That part wouldn’t have changed.”

Still wearing a furious expression, Barry reluctantly let go and walked backwards to head back to her chair, eying the newcomer warily.

“Miss Allen, this is Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot,” Waller introduced the man with the eyepiece, returning to her own seat.

Barry eyed him even more warily. “I’ve heard of him,” she mumbled.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Waller cut right down to it. “Since you probably know quite a bit, no doubt from your association with The Arrow, then let me tell you what I’m…requesting. I am aware that you have acquired powers, and of the man in the video –Clyde Mardon – had also. Lining up the timeline of events and what little the two of you would have in common, I am to presume the cause of that is because of the particle explosion nine months ago.”

Barry couldn’t withhold her wince, which was confirmation enough.

“I could also presume that there are probably more of your kind out there, and with the psychoanalysis done on you, I would guess that you have put yourself in charge of finding them and rounding them up due to your innate sense of justice and responsibility.”

By this time, Barry was starting to feel and look mulish. Stubbornly, she kept her mouth shut.

Waller began to smile again. “By all means, go right ahead. In fact, I can make your little operation as legal as it can get.”

That certainly wasn’t what Barry, or even Singh, had been expecting.

“I only ask of certain things, Miss Allen. I am informed of the goings on. That means who you capture, what powers they have, what had happened. Every once and awhile, my…team will be around the area, and I ask you to put them up, on certain occasions. Or assist them when it’s called for, or when _I_ have need of your certain set of skills –” Waller held up a hand, when Barry move to interrupt. “No, I won’t have you assassinate someone. You’d be hopeless at it. I told you I’ve read the psychoanalysis on you, and there’s no way you would in your current state.”

“Or ever,” Barry muttered childishly, pursing her lips and glaring at the ground.

Waller continued to ignore her. “Further, I see we could find some use for some of the mutated humans –”

“Metahumans,” Barry interrupted. “That’s what we call them.”

“Yes, metahumans,” Waller didn’t bat an eyelash. “I can see a whole slew of things these metahumans could be capable of achieving.”

“I wouldn’t let you get your hands on them,” Barry glared, hands clenching on her thighs.

“May I remind you I have your father in custody?” Waller said coldly. “You may, of course, handpick and create your own group, if you’d like.”

“I would never create something and be in charge of a group like the Suicide Squad,” Barry spat out.

“Or you can hand them over to ARGUS and we’ll take care of them personally.”

Barry just barely refrained from screaming in frustration, deciding instead to mutter angrily under her breath.

“Okay, fine. I wouldn’t want you to get your grubby hands on them,” Barry agreed sourly, repeating her words.

Waller smiled again. “Very well. In exchange, we’ll take care of your father. He’ll have the best of care, better than he ever could have had in Iron Heights.”

Barry liked that part at least. Hopefully, it was true.

Waller stood up and walked around the desk, moving to stand in front of Barry. She looked at Singh first.

“Thank you, Captain Singh, for the use of your office. As well as the recovery of the tape before anyone else could see it, and the…attempted secreting it away, before confronting your subordinate. It bought us quite a bit of time.”

By ‘us,’ Barry was sure Waller meant herself and ARGUS. Though Barry did look grateful and guiltily over at Singh, who had actually tried looking out for her but had just gotten dragged into this with her.

“You’re welcome,” Singh sarcastically said with a glare, only just the third thing he’d said since calling out for Barry to get her into his office.

Waller turned to Barry next. “I look forward to our work together, Miss Allen. ‘Til next time.”

She was walking out and Barry was watching her, until she noticed that Deadshot was still there.

“Isn’t he going?” Singh snapped, having noticed as well.

“I might have forgotten to mention that Lawton will be stationed semi-permanently here,” Waller stopped by the door and turned to address them one last time. “Perhaps you need an assistant, Miss Allen?”

And then Waller let herself out, closing the door after her. Barry glared at the closed door, before irritably turning her glare to the floor.

“Ugh! Captain, do you have something sweet? Blueberry? Anything?” Barry cried out.

Singh snorted and went to his seat, claiming it back. He rummaged through his desk and took out a box.

“I got powdered donuts.”

“Works for me,” Barry declared and dove in, shoving two of them into her mouth.

Singh gave another snort and grabbed a handful, taking a bite out of one. He gestured at the box to Lawton.

“You better get some now, before she eats them all.”

Lawton just gave them a strange look, before shrugging it off and settling down on Singh’s old chair and snagging a donut.

“It’s Floyd. You got any liquor?”

And ten minutes later, Barry hit her forehead on the table. She reached around her empty glass and grabbed another donut. 

“Are you serious? I can’t get drunk?!”

* * *

 

Barry was lounging in her lab, silently still bemoaning her misfortune. She wondered where her father was though. Was he really being taken cared of? Was he safe?

“Stop thinking,” Floyd snarked from his corner in her lab. “If you’re worried about your father, he’s fine. Saw him get taken. It was a good extraction. He had no clue, of course. But he wasn’t manhandled or pushed around.”

She felt a little more relief at that, though she still felt troubled. Sighing to herself, she looked around and then snatched a case file off of her desk.

“Your Captain said you’re not supposed to be working.”

“But I’m bored,” Barry grumbled.

“And still not allowed to work until tomorrow,” Malcolm entered her lab, though he glanced in surprise and confusion over the strange man also in there. “I heard you were still here.”

Barry sighed. “Yeah. Don’t know what else to do. Ugh, and I still have to search for an apartment! I’ll have to sleep in here anyway, so it’s probably a good thing I came and that my cot’s still here.”

“You can stay in the apartment,” Malcolm offered. “I don’t mind.”

“No, it’s alright –I don’t want to intrude,” Barry protested.

“You wouldn’t,” Malcolm shook his head. “In fact, we could…we could be roommates?”

Barry hadn’t thought of that and was genuinely shocked at the other, but it didn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Plus, he was like her semi-twin.

“Well, that sounds alright to me if you’re okay with it.”

Malcolm agreed, so the matter was settled.

Floyd sniffed mockingly. “Ohh, roomies. How nice.”

Malcolm glanced at him in consternation. “Who’s he?”

Barry inwardly winced. “He’s my, uh… _assistant_.”

It really didn’t make sense, the forensic assistant with an assistant.

“I guess you do a lot of work. I assume it would help and make things easier if you had someone around to help you personally,” Malcolm seemed to have bought it. “I guess I’ll see you later then? We could go home together.”

Barry smiled at him. “Sure. Later, Mal!”

Again, he had a pleased smile on his face, while he left.

“There’s a group of men attempting to hijack an armored truck. It’s carrying a priceless diamond,” Floyd said suddenly, and she looked at him in shock. He held up a phone. “Your boss sent me a message. Thought you’d want to do something other than lounge around and waste space in your lab.” 

Barry straightened up. “Where is it?”

“One, I’m coming. Two, it’s –” as soon as he’d rattled off the address, Barry had rapidly changed into her uniform and then sped over to him, flashing over to the location straight after.

The scene wasn’t exactly what Barry had prepared for. Or rather who.

* * *

 

Harrison was agitatedly flipping through the news on the computer, just barely refraining from using his speed. Besides, even a little use of it would tire him out probably. He didn’t want to risk it anyhow.

But he couldn’t help his agitation. After all… _where was Simon Stagg_?

Aside from the circus Barry had to face (a no-show this time), at this point in time Simon Stagg was supposed to show his arrogant mug around Central City, about to accept the honor of being “Man of the Year.” However, despite the man supposed to be there by now, there had been no news of his arrival. Instead, all he got was –

There. Harrison had just stumbled upon a breaking news report, and to his consternation, Stagg’s arrival to Central City had been delayed. By a few weeks at the most.

The timeline he knew was definitely no longer reliable.

He was sure of it now. No circus, no Stagg. Hartley’s early appearance into Barry’s life. And who knew how many other changes had been wrought?

Harrison had tried, this time around, to not be “creepy” or “stalkerish,” as Barry had tended to tell him each time he’d revealed how closely he’d watched her in every lifetime he’d known her. To his dismay and embarrassment, each Barry tended to go from the stages of freaking out, to weirded out, and finally to joking and teasing him about it. In fact, he’d only relegated the cameras into her home (minus her bedroom) and her classrooms in her schools (and then eventually her work). He had been less invasive and hadn’t kept constant watch on her, like he usually had. He was coming to regret his decision.

If he had kept more cameras around her, kept more constant watch, then all this wouldn’t be happening and so much wouldn’t have escaped his notice. He’d been lax this time around.

He turned on the TV to listen on the news, when he froze and listened to it, watching with disbelieving eyes. An attempted hijacking of an armored car containing a priceless diamond had just happened a few minutes ago…

No. No, that’s not possible. That would happen at least a month later. 

But there in front of him, the news wasn’t lying. He needed to get in contact with Barry as soon as possible.

* * *

 

Well, Deadshot was a very accurate name, as far as Barry had been concerned. Floyd was as good as his name and reputation implied him to be, taking down several of the hijackers with ease. Thankfully, he wasn’t shooting to kill. They actually did well together, with her disarming and taking down a few of the men, and the ones she’d just disarmed were quickly taken out by Floyd.

She headed to the last man out, taking his gun and then further tackling him to the ground to keep him from running. With a lot of miscalculations on her part, she ended up with him on the ground and in the cliché of comedies in which his face had unceremoniously smacked into and stayed against her chest. Her chest where her suit still hadn’t been changed and cleavage was yet another problem in this situation.

“I think I might like this arrest.”

Embarrassed and irritated, Barry sat up and her hand shot out and hit the guy, knocking him out. Huffing, she sat back completely and looked down at her captive. She gasped.

Barry _knew_ this man.

“Hey, we got to go,” Floyd reached her side, snatching her arm and pulling her off of the unconscious man. “The cops are coming, and we better be out of here before we get caught.”

Dazed, she nodded and tried to clear her head, picking up Floyd rapidly and speeding out of the crime scene and heading to work. Back to her regular clothes and sitting in her chair, she made it look like she hadn’t done anything or gone anywhere, except to mill about in her lab.

“I fucking hate being picked up and carried around by you. It’s so degrading,” Floyd said out of nowhere.

She giggled. “Don’t complain. It’s speedy.”

He grumbled, but conceded to her point.

Singh was at her door then. “Hey, why don’t you head home or something? You really don’t need to be around, and it’s still best to keep another day on rest to make sure you’re alright and you don’t have any more side effects or something. Keep an eye on things that have changed for you, like the ‘not getting drunk on alcohol anymore’ thing and the like.”

At the reminder of that, Floyd snickered at her, but she brushed him off (she was still inwardly pouting about it though).

“Okay, fine. Just keep me on speed dial and tell me if something’s up,” Barry said, and headed towards a reluctant Floyd.

Together, she got them home to her apartment, deciding she could use the time to make some room for Malcolm and help clear things out so they could share the space.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Barry asked, wondering about that.

“Waller’s got me a place nearby,” Floyd told her nonchalantly. “I’ll be a quick reach if you need me.”

Barry nodded absentmindedly, already considering what to move or straight out throw out. Floyd was a surprising help, helping her to move things around (especially furniture, and then ending up doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen while Barry continued to move and put away stuff. Afterwards, letting Floyd watch TV, she decided she’d take a little nap and headed to her room, where she collapsed onto the bed face first.

She’d only just closed her eyes when she heard to her side “Hey, doll! You look tuckered out. Want me to tuck you in?”

Barry sat up quickly and stared at the strange woman wearing messy pigtails, one of Barry’s shirts, and just underwear, and making herself at home on Barry’s bed. Even though she had no makeup on, Barry was sure this was… 

“H-Harley Quinn?!”

* * *

 

Cisco looked at the schematics he’d made, feeling something uncomfortable in his gut. This was…this was just a failsafe. A ‘just in case.’

But he remembered all those times he’d looked up her Facebook, all the little facts he’d researched and found out, and now that she was awake and finally being around her…Plus, the feeling he got, like he already knew her and knew who she was all about…

He really didn’t think this was all that necessary after all…

“Cisco? Where are you?”

Hearing Caitlin’s voice, he winced and began to quickly gather up his things. She came into the room, and he still had a lot of stuff out.

“What are you doing?” she asked in concern and just a small bit of suspicion.

Cisco gulped and dropped what he was holding back onto the table.

“I was just coming up with something,” he said miserably.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Caitlin asked, raising an eyebrow. “Especially if it’s something that could help us, STAR Labs, and Dr. Wells? And now Barry too, since she’s with us and we’re planning on helping her.”

Cisco winced. “Yeah. About that…Help Barry? Not so much.”

Much more concerned and uneasy, Caitlin came closer and looked at the schematics, not sure what to make of it.

“It’s a gun that’s supposed to shoot out streams of cold energy, that would counter Barry’s speed powers. ‘Cause you know, speed versus cold doesn’t do so well and all.”

Caitlin stared at him, looking surprised and quickly becoming unhappy. 

“I know, I know!” Cisco interrupted, looking upset. “It’s just a failsafe, and I didn’t even build it yet! Or I don’t think I will. I know Barry already. I don’t think –I _know_ she’s not the type to turn murderous on us. She’s a good person. She just…really cares.”

“You can’t say that about a lot of people,” Caitlin said softly, giving him a soft smile.

Cisco nodded determinedly, and began putting the stuff away. Caitlin began to quietly help him.

* * *

 

Eddie was bugged by the entire situation with his brother. He’d been tempted to call his father (their uncle really, but he was the one who’d raised him and who Eddie thought of as father), but in the end he didn’t. That didn’t mean he wasn’t irritated.

His brother had come in with Barry by his side, and Eddie had seen them. He’d given a strange look to his brother, watching and noticing how close Malcolm had gotten to her with every step they’d taken into the station. His brother had seen him then and had given him a quick, smug look. Saying to hell with it, he’d approached them.

Eddie had been nonplused and slightly upset to know the two of them had stayed overnight together (and how Malcolm had gone to now own Barry’s old apartment). But then Barry had been called away and then it’d been just him and his brother.

“What’s wrong, Eddie?” Malcolm said mockingly. “A little upset that the girl you like is around me more?”

Eddie refrained from bristling, but this was just typical of his brother. His brother always picked on him, and he took whatever it was that Eddie showed even the slightest, remote interest in.

“Why are you doing this?” Eddie asked upset.

Malcolm snorted. “Maybe this isn’t about you. Either way, I do enjoy messing with you and making you miserable.”

Eddie glared at him. “Whatever your problem is, leave Barry out of it.”

Malcolm laughed. “You idiot. You have no idea. Whatever. I’m going to get to work.”

Eddie scowled and Malcolm was just going to leave him, when he paused and turned back to Eddie. He reached into his book bag and took out a book, tossing it at Eddie. Eddie’s eyes widened when he realized it was Barry’s CSI book he’d borrowed, after he’d caught it. He’d been looking for it for a while, thinking he’d misplaced it.

“You should watch your things more,” Malcolm chuckled darkly. “Wouldn’t know who could get their hands on them. And, you know, I read it –I even got to tell Barry and flatter her about it. Might’ve stolen your thunder a bit, huh?” 

His younger brother left him behind and Eddie fumed silently. Shaking his head to clear it, he went to his desk and began to sort out the files on it. He found the files on Mardon, the finished write up, and decided on making a copy. He gathered the extra notes he’d made, particularly on the fact that Mardon had exhibited weather-control powers, which aside from the witness, he had witnessed them himself when he and Joe went to catch the guy at the barn.

Maybe he’d give it to Barry when he next saw her, and she might even write about it in her blog…

* * *

 

The moment she’d screamed, Floyd had darted into the room and had a gun out and ready to shoot. Seeing just Harley, he put his gun down by his side and rolled his eyes.

“I forgot you were here,” he eyed his fellow teammate.

Barry looked at him incredulously. “What do you mean you forgot? And _why_ is she here?”

“You forget already?” though he conveniently said nothing about his own forgetfulness, “The Wall said you’ve got to put us up sometimes, if the group’s around. Harley and a few others are here then.”

“You call her ‘The Wall?’” Barry muttered, now completely feeling like the last few days must be some kind of dream. She darted away from Harley, who had started giggling and playing with Barry’s hair. “Okay, I think I’m going to go back to the precinct. Maybe do something around there…”

“Aw, really? And we were just getting to know each other,” Harley smiled widely at her.

“Yep, I’m just going to go,” Barry took rapid steps out of her room and towards her door. Floyd followed her. “Anyway, where do you live? You said you were in easy reach, though it might be best to tell me the address now, so I can keep it in mind.”

Floyd shrugged. “I can show you.”

Barry blinked and followed him out of the apartment, to where he went right next door and opened it. Barry tossed him a glare and threw her hands up, thoroughly disgusted with everything.

“If you live right next door, why do I have to put your loony teammates up in my place?” she grumbled as she walked away.

She didn’t wait for an answer, starting to super-speed her way out of the building and back to the police station. She wondered if she counted as an accomplice for harboring criminals in her home, but then again Singh knew…

Did that make him an accomplice too though?

She managed to sneak into her empty lab, where she dropped into her chair in deep thought. Well, she was stuck with an infamous sniper, a woman named ‘The Wall’ had backed her into a wall, her father was MIA, and she had superpowers. And she had just woken up after a nine month coma.

Her life must be some kind of dramedy for The Powers That Be. There was no other explanation for how screwed up and disbelieving her life had become, and in such a short amount of time.

Taking out her phone, she decided to go through the list of it to tell whoever she actually had on her contacts that she was still alive. Oliver and Felicity would have easily told the group over in Starling, and most of everyone here knew. She had been missing her dance classes too, so there was that though.

She let them know she was okay and awake, and remembered that she still had to contact her dance partner. Speaking of him, she hadn’t seen or heard from him at all. He tended to listen to her life more, and spoke about his own life somewhat vaguely, though he did talked to her a lot (especially about his old home life and his parents who’d disowned him). He knew where she lived and where she worked, even if she didn’t know about his work and home.

But then again, Hartley Rathaway had always been rather reticent about his life and had preferred discussing her own.

He wasn’t really social, was kind of abrasive too and tended to put people off, and didn’t have many –if any –friends. When they’d first met, he’d been skeptical of being paired up with her and having her be his teacher and mentor, when she was the younger one. At the time he’d started classes, she was nineteen and he had been twenty six. He was a beginner and she had been dancing since she was eleven, with ballet having started before that. But, well, she’d quickly corrected that notion, and he stopped complaining and worked hard. Soon enough, they began to bond and get along.

So it kind of confused and worried her that she hadn’t heard from him, and there not even being a single voicemail on her phone. She decided to call him, but when she received a message saying the phone was no longer in service, she began to feel even more worried. Barry would have to find a way to look for him, given that she didn’t know how else to get into contact with him.

And speaking of conflicted characters…

Barry bit her lip, but she didn’t want to just sit there and not see him. It had been years, but she still remembered him and how they met.

It was to her very surprise and upset that, after so long, she ran into Leonard Snart once more. 

* * *

 

He was nineteen years old. He was being processed by the Iron Heights’ guards and though he’d been arrested and was in prison, he was very calm.

Barry remembered it very clearly, even though she was only eleven and visiting her father. She’d been angry at Joe and had wanted to see her father, who he wouldn’t let her see. So she’d run away and gone all the way to Keystone and Iron Heights Prison all by herself.

She hadn’t exactly been…in the prison legally herself though.

Barry had snuck in and had snuck around, not really having gone through the normal, regular processing for visitors. She had been trying to break her father out after all. Now here she was, sneaking around the precinct and going to see Len again.

_She was following the guards, who were taking the young man further into the prison. She saw them put him into a cell, locking him in and then leaving him behind. She ducked behind a corner to hide from the guards, only peeking out when they were gone._

Geesh, she wasn’t even sure why she was ducking around corners still. She worked there after all. It shouldn’t be so surprising for her to be ‘walking around,’ even if it was her day off. It’s not like anyone didn’t know she had trouble listening to orders.

_She snuck closer to the young man, who was quick to note the new movement and his sharp gaze zeroed in on her._

_“Oh? So now they’re putting little girls in prison, huh? What did you do, little girl, to earn some time in Iron Heights?” he smirked._

_“Nothing!” she declared, pouting a little._

Ugh, he’d been insufferable at times then. He probably hadn’t changed all that much, if at all. Barry still wasn’t sure why she was going to see him.

_“What did **you** do to get in here?” she asked, trying to sound accusing but coming off more curious._

_“I’m a robber, little girl. Like I could potentially steal that pretty lightning bolt necklace off your neck,” he eyed the piece of jewelry around Barry’s neck._

_Barry scowled angrily, her hand shooting up to grab the necklace’s pendant. She, despite being angry, looked cute nonetheless._

_“Then again, I can just steal you,” he laughed._

_She made a little ‘eep!’ sound and covered her mouth with both hands, looking at him with wide eyes._

_“What’s your name, little girl?” he asked, smirk becoming an amused grin._

_“My name’s not ‘little girl!’” she huffed. “And you first!”_

_“My name’s Len,” he said wryly, continuing to be entertained by his unexpected visitor._

_“Barry,” she said. “My name’s Barry.”_

_“Barry, huh? It fits. You look like a cute, little berry, Berrykins,” he teased, giving her a nickname while he was at it._

_She gave him a deadpan look. “Perv.”_

_He twitched and sweatdropped._

Finding him wasn’t going to be easy. He had become a very well-known and dangerous criminal since then, and he was probably locked up somewhere pretty tight, until they could get him transferred to Iron Heights.

_Barry hesitatingly went closer, but even when she was right at the bars, he didn’t do anything other than crouched down to her level._

_“Why do you want to steal things?” she asked curiously._

_He looked thoughtful for a moment. “It used to be so I can provide for my sister. She should be just a little older than you, Berrykins. Her name’s Lisa. As to why I steal now?...I like the thrill. I like the challenge I’m presented with. I like the adrenaline and the satisfaction after a job well done.”_

_“You could get that without being a thief and criminal,” she pointed out._

_Len smirked at her again. “Find me a job that’ll get all the thrills and danger then.”_

Having finally found him, Barry quietly observed him. The area was empty, so she could do so uninterrupted.

He was older. He _looked_ older. He was also much more filled out, and his face looked more serious. Len was as calm as ever though. He had always had that kind of attitude, and he didn’t lose his temper often or give into his emotions much.

_“Okay,” Barry said. “And then we can be friends outside the prison too.”_

_He barked out a laugh. “We’re friends then? Are you sure you want to be friends with a monster?”_

_She snorted and leaned closer to the bars, her thin arm easily reaching between them and her hand smacking his forehead. He blinked, and did so again when she grabbed his nose and pulled, making a fist and putting her thumb between her index and middle finger._

_“You can’t be a monster without a nose!” she giggled, wiggling her thumb._

_He chuckled, while she plopped down on the ground and sat comfortably._

_“I’ll hide you under my bed and then I can be friends with the monster under my bed,” she said sincerely._

_“Well, Berrykins, I guess I can agree with that.”_

_“Yay! Then we can be together forever and ever!”_

She hadn’t stayed there very long after that. The guards had found her and taken her away from Len, though they were nice enough to let her see her father after she told them (after she bawled embarrassingly) that she’d only come there to see her father and wanted to break him out, because he was her dad, he was innocent, and Joe wouldn’t let her see him. She didn’t think she’d see or hear from Len again.

Except for Christmas, later that year, an anonymous gift box addressed to “Berrykins” had been dropped off to her home, and had contained an expensive Steiff limited edition “Antonia” Teddy Bear.

“You’re so stupid,” she couldn’t help blurting out, and Len’s eyes darted to her, narrowing coldly. “And you suck more for not buying me another Steiff teddy bear after I turned eighteen. I liked collecting those.”

She also adamantly refused to believe he’d stolen them. He had better not…

Len’s eyes widened as he easily recalled and remembered that and her. His eyes lit up in recognition.

“Is that you, little Berrykins?” he slowly smiled, his lips curling in amusement. He looked at her closely. “My, my. You’ve definitely grown up.”

Ugh. Definitely hadn’t changed.

“Perv,” she sounded just as deadpan as her look.

He laughed quietly, leaning back against the wall. “Now to what do I owe the honor of you visiting me?”

Barry frowned, watching him for a second. Then she tilted her head and gave him a happy smile.

“Want a job?”

Started 7/18/15 – Completed 7/20/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Flips table) BOOYAH! Enjoy that craziness and please review :D
> 
> Quick Points:
> 
> 1\. Suicide Squad: Anybody else see the Comic Con trailer for the movie? It was awesome. Definitely made me decide to include the Suicide Squad, like I was thinking of, so they’ll be in here a lot. Deadshot gets a recurring role!
> 
> 2\. Leonard Snart: Yep, Barry met him early on and so they’re very familiar with each other. So things are changed up!
> 
> 3\. Changes: As you can see, many, many changes have been made. Lots of things for Barry and Eobard to deal with, eh?
> 
> 4\. Playlist:  
> Chapter VI:  
> • Demons by Eugene Godsoe (Imagine Dragons cover)  
> • I'd Love to Save the World by Jetta (instrumental, Terminator Genysys trailer version)  
> Chapter VII:  
> • Fury Oh Fury by  
> • Becomes the Color by Emily Wells  
> • Monster/Counting Stars mashup by Boyce Avenue and Carly Rose


	8. Hit It, Katy Perry!

Len gave a little strange look to her, before giving a short laugh.

"You can't offer me a job," he gave a twisted version of a grin. "I'm going to prison. I can't pull off a job in prison."

Barry rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I bet you could. And we both know you probably have a contingency plan in place to get you out of going into prison. In any case, none of that matters. You're not going to prison. I told you I'd find you a job with all the 'thrills and danger.'"

Len frowned then. "How is that going to happen then, little Berrykins?"

"I'm not little anymore," she muttered, before addressing the now somewhat amused man. "I can get you to join a team. They'll be hunting down…dangerous…people. Yeah, it'll be fun," she chuckled weakly, having not exactly thought out her proposal and what exactly she was going to say. At his look, she shrugged. "It's classified?"

At his skeptical face, she sighed. "Look, just give it a try. You're not exactly going to lose anything."

He looked deep in thought, before staring her straight in the eyes. "By hunting down 'dangerous people'…you wouldn't be meaning people like that woman at the bank, who had all that speed?" his voice began to tinge excitement.

Barry hid her cough. "Yeah…like her. Only not her per se."

Len looked taken aback and even slightly disappointed. He had a score to settle after all. "Why not?" he pressed her.

"Because you can't be hunting me down!" she hissed, giving him a pout and annoyed look.

His eyes practically lit up at that. "You can –"

"Sh!" she cut him off, nervously looking around. "I'll tell you all about it later. I'll even give you a demonstration. But well?"

He smirked. "Yeah, sounds good to me. If there are others with…powers like that, I want to have a shot at tearing them down. Sounds like all the thrills and danger you promised me, Berrykins."

Barry was so excited, she began to slightly vibrate. Panicking, she tried to calm down. As she looked at Len though, his own reaction was actually visible, as he watched her really show her power a bit, even if she hadn't meant it. His slate gray eyes were only slightly widened, but that it was shown at all showed he'd really been taken aback by the display.

Barry gave a slightly embarrassed grin at him. "I'll go get everything set up, and then you'll be out of there by the end of the day."

"Looking forward to it," Len gave her a mock salute, and she quickly walked out of there to head to Singh's.

She tried practicing what she was going to say to the Captain while she headed there, to make up for her lame preparation to talk to Len, but it was hard to find the words that'll make her decision make sense and get him to agree.

Did he have to agree though?

It would certainly make her feel better if he did, though she was certain that he didn't actually have to agree with her. She wasn't even sure she had to really tell him much, though she thought it would help things if he was more aware of it all. He was the one literally in charge of this station and thankfully on her side, so it was the logical choice to make sure he had all the information to be able to make sure things got a handle on and help out when needed.

"You're thinking too much," his voice sounded wryly. "What is it now, and hadn't I told you to go home earlier?"

Blinking, she realized she'd somehow already made her way to and in his office without herself realizing it. She gave him a sheepish look.

"Um, yeah. I had a thought…" At his raised eyebrow, she took a deep breath. "Thing is…You remember Waller?" His pinched expression said that yes, he did remember her alright. "Yeah. Well. She said I can have a team. So I have a member in mind."

"Already?" he asked in surprise. "You've run across a meta?"

At her uncomfortable look, Singh frowned and looked at her expectantly.

"I think Leonard Snart would be a good addition," she said quickly.

He grimaced. "You wouldn't happen to be doing this out of some misplaced childhood fondness and loyalty?" Because he and every other person in that station knew about Len Snart and little Barry all those years ago, when she ran away from Joe and gave everyone a heart attack at her disappearance (before she was found at Iron Heights, which gave everyone a different kind of panic). They all also had to listen to Joe complain every year about the mysterious Steiff teddy bear that showed up on Christmas on their doorstep (and who they knew came from Snart, even as anonymous and without evidence as it was).

Barry only just barely refrained from pouting. "No," she denied, though she found her voice sounded halfhearted. She inwardly pouted.

"Yeah, sure,  _Berrykins_ ," he made a jab at her. Everyone also knew of the nickname the criminal had bestowed onto her.

"Captain," she widened her eyes and leaned forward, letting herself pout a little at last.

He sighed in aggravation, but his face softened a little. "I'll get the arrangements fixed. Waller has a few people stationed around, probably to watch us closely, but at least to help out. I'll have them assigned to be in charge of Snart's transfer. You can get him while he's en route, and bring him to wherever you plan to house your group."

She beamed happily at him. "Great! Don't worry, he'll be a perfect fit, Captain! Even though he dropped out of high school, he's actually really smart."

Singh nodded, shooing her away, and she delivered the news to Len.

"My sister will probably on the way then," Len admitted. "She's usually the backup that breaks me out of this kind of situation."

"Lisa?" Barry perked up. "Oh, so I can finally meet her?"

Len laughed at her. "Yes. And she can finally meet you. I told her about you. She got all giddy and excited, though she was sad that she never got to meet you herself. Even though that reaction was like when she was practically a kid, she's stupidly still the same way even now."

That put Barry in even more of a good mood. So much so, that by the time she had to go and retrieve Len, she was way overexcited. She waited with him, and the two ARGUS soldiers by the armored prison truck, playing Go Fish as they waited around for Len's sister.

"She's late. She knows I hate it when she's late," Len complained.

"Go fish," Percy, one of the ARGUS guards, muttered.

Barry's stomach growled. "I think I'm hungry," she announced, and everyone gave her a deadpan look that said 'Obviously.' "Anyone else? I'm thinking Big Belly Burger. Any requests?"

Percy was on board, so was Rick (the other ARGUS worker), but Len frowned. "I'm actually dying for some sushi. You mind?"

"Nope! I'll be back in a few."

And she really was back quickly enough, and was about to hand the food out just as Lisa Snart arrived and was holding a gun to poor Percy and Rick's heads.

"Er, what?" Lisa was startled and confused at Barry's appearance, and by how she appeared.

"Lisa, this is Barry. Barry, my sister," Len drawled in boredom, snatching his food from Barry.

"You want some food?" Barry asked, giving what she hoped to be a friendly smile.

Lisa put down the gun and shrugged. "Yeah, sounds good. Can I get sushi too?"

And as Barry went off, she was glad to see Len pull his sister closer and begin some explanations. At least she didn't have to do that this time. However, she noticed she was beginning to feel a bit…strained. Brushing it off, she got Lisa's food and hurried back. Although, when she got back, she'd stumbled a little and her vision blacked out for a moment.

"Barry!" She felt Len's large hands brace her and she shook her head a little. "What's wrong?"

On her other side, she felt Lisa grasped hold and help her brother straighten her up and head towards the armored truck. Percy and Rick made room, while Barry was sat onto the back of the truck where they'd all been eating.

"What happened?" Len demanded.

Barry winced. "I don't know. I started feeling strained earlier, and when I got back the feeling really hit me, and my vision even went black for a sec."

"Side effect maybe?" Rick interjected. "Of your powers."

Barry thought on it. "Maybe. I guess I have to check with the others, see what they think."

"What other side effects do you have?" Lisa asked, eager about this whole metahuman business her brother had told her about. And well, she was curious about Barry too –being that this was the girl her brother had told her about all those years ago, and who he had annually given an expensive European brand teddy bear to. She was even prettier than she'd imagined, and a bit guileless. She was the sweet type, the kind of girl Lisa usually scoffed at and shook her head in pity.

But well…it's hard to dislike her when she's grinning goofily and shyly at her.

"Um, well, I can't really get drunk," Barry started off, immediately making a face at that. Everyone agreed, feeling sympathetic. "And I guess, if I'm not paying attention, if I get overexcited or something, I start to vibrate."

"Well, doesn't sound too bad," Lisa decided. "I guess no zooming off to whatever location she wanted to bring Len and me at, huh?"

"I don't think I should," Barry confessed.

"Alright, we'll get you there then. Where are we heading?" Percy cut in, getting up from his spot and heading out of the back to head to the driver's seat. Rick followed after.

"STAR Labs!" Barry informed them, before laying sprawled on the floor of the back. "Ugh, now I'm  _really_ feeling crappy."

Len hnned, still eating, though he'd settled more into the truck and had closed his side's door. He shoved an  _inarizushi_ against Barry's lips, and she eagerly chomped down on it. Lisa slipped in more as well, and shut her own door. She idly pressed a California Roll to Barry's mouth, who unquestioningly opened it and took a bite.

Barry sighed happily, eyes fluttering. "Mm, that's so good…"

Lisa was tempted to laugh. Oh yeah, this girl was adorable. It made Lisa want to grab hold of the girl and cuddle. She could even see Len's reaction to that too. He'd yell at her and lecture her, face flushed red in irritation. She always was one of the few that could get under Len's skin.

"You're cute," Lisa said aloud, causing Len to shoot her a warning look while Barry blushed. "I guess this means we get to keep her this time."

"Lisa, be quiet, will you?" Len twitched.

Music interrupted the atmosphere and Lisa burst out into laughter, while Len looked even more irritated.

"You do have a rather Eminem-like thing going on," Lisa grinned widely, looking at her brother mischievously. At Barry's stifled giggle, Lisa's grin widened even more.

Len fully glared at his sister then. "Fuck you, Lis."

Ohh, it got serious now.

Lisa smirked. "Awww, but Lenny babe, you're totally Slim Shady."

Then they started loud bickering, while Barry found a space to the side to watch them as she started in on her own food.

"Siblings," Rick told his partner, shaking his head (despite the fact he was the one to purposely put on that music to subtly poke at Leonard Snart).

Percy snorted and agreed.

They finally made it to STAR Labs –and wasn't that a kicker? Although none of them should really be surprised the place still had people in it and that it had something to do with Barry and the metahumans.

From there, Len crouched down with his back to the truck's opened back, and Barry grumblingly climbed onto his back and let him piggyback her into the building. With Len's no-negotiation stare and Lisa's amused outlook towards the whole thing, it wasn't like Barry could argue back successfully.

Rick and Percy were no help at all. They played blind, deaf, and dumb. And as soon as Len had her, they drove quickly away.

* * *

"Welcome to the Len Snart Show!" was heard echoing in the Cortex as three figures marched in.

"Lenny, I thought you didn't care to be an Eminem wannabe?" the unknown female asked in amusement.

"Shut up, Lisa," the intimidating male grumbled. He shifted and let down a more familiar brunette, who had previously been hanging onto his back.

The others may not be familiar with the two, but Harrison was well aware of just who had walked in with Barry. Who, alarmingly, had stumbled onto the floor and was swaying slightly.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked sharply, looking at the Snart siblings.

His intense gaze and tone, satisfactorily, put them in their place and had them straightened up –though he knew Cold wouldn't be happy about it later when he remembered and was more in control of himself.

"We think it's a side effect of some sort, because of her speed," Snart frowned.

So they knew about Barry now. Harrison was at a disadvantage at the moment, given that everything was not as it was. Of his memories, scattered as they were, the absolutely last timeline he'd been had been the clearest and almost completely remembered. His original timeline was next, but he tended not to focus on that time, given how young and inexperienced he'd been.

It was the first time he'd witnessed Barry's death, and it had been absolutely traumatizing.

"Cisco, if you wouldn't mind helping these two get settled somewhere? I have a feeling they'll be staying here indefinitely. Caitlin, you and I will be running tests on Barry to make sure nothing's wrong and find out what's happening to her," he smiled faintly, despite wanting to not be as affable as he had to be.

At the very least, he already knew what was wrong with Barry. He just needed to have everyone find out as well.

Allowing Caitlin to perform her tests and then go off to finish them off and hopefully get the right results, he moved his wheelchair closer to Barry.

"I tried calling you," he told Barry concernedly, sincerely concerned and also upset that he'd been caught off guard by everything.

Barry blinked at him. Then she panicked and started to pat herself down. "Oh! I forgot about my phone. It's somewhere in my lab…"

She looked apologetically at him and he sighed, letting it go. It was too late anyway, given the Snart siblings' presence there. And that was completely off the wall from any timeline he'd remembered.

"It's nothing. I was just going to warn you about an armored truck heist," he told her, feeling it was now a moot point.

But then Barry coughed and blushed slightly. "Ah about that…"

And then she was telling him about _Amanda Fucking Waller_  and then the whole mess after, leading to her recruiting Snart (and his sister as bonus), who apparently she met when she was younger.

Oh, for fucks' sake…

None of that was familiar, and Harrison felt anxiety grip him as he realized how far out of control he was, and that he needed to know more about what had been happening to her as soon as possible. And damn Waller…there was no way he would let her get her claws in Barry.

"Be careful with Waller, Barry," he warned, feeling extremely aggravated now. "She's a dangerous woman."

"You know her too?" Barry asked, curious about that.

Harrison gave her a tight smile. "I've had dealings with the government before."

Before they could continue their conversation, the Snart siblings were back with Cisco, along with Caitlin reentering the Cortex as well.

"Any news?" Cisco asked her hopefully, scooting away from the criminal siblings who intimidated him. Not that he knew they were criminals yet…

"Apparently she's suffering from hypoglycemia. Because of Barry's speed, she's gained a sped-up metabolism, which means she needs to ingest more calories to maintain her energy level," Caitlin explained.

"So she's got to eat more to compensate for her speed," Len concluded.

Cisco and Caitlin looked over to the siblings.

"No offense, man, but who are you?" Cisco asked.

Barry interrupted here, explaining to them what she'd just told Harrison. That made the others cringe.

"Er, how the heck are we going to get them all to cooperate, and what about the ones who won't be on the team and all? Where do we keep them?" Cisco looked around.

"We could convert the Pipeline," Harrison was surprised that Caitlin was the one who suggested that. He'd just been about to speak out. "With some adjustments, we can use it to contain the metahumans."

"Sounds good to me," a new voice cut in, and they looked to see Deadshot walking into the room. "Geeze, kid, you could have told me yourself about the recruitment and everything that went on. I had to get called on by the Wall."

Harrison tensed up, watching the man warily. He could see Cold also tense slightly, but the other man wasn't aware of who the other was.

"Hey, Deadshot!" Barry waved cheerily, making Harrison twitch again and Cold to straighten up.

Deadshot had already recognized Cold, watching the man in boredom. Cold, however, recognized the other after hearing what Barry called him. Even if Snart had never run across the assassin before, he had plenty of contacts that had led him to finding out and knowing about the other.

The thing was, both Harrison and Snart knew that this man was dangerous. Cold had killed before, yes, but he was a master thief. He was good at what he did, and did it exceptionally. But Deadshot was good at what  _he_ did, which involved far more killing than Snart was used to or had done.

And well, Harrison was playing paraplegic until he was home free due to that "miracle cure" he'd been working on, with Barry. Hence, he'd been no threat to either men, in their eyes. He really had to scoff at that.

He watched closely as Deadshot moved closer towards Snart, who tensed even more. But Deadshot only held out a hand, and Cold took it carefully. They shook hands, and that seemed to be it –until Deadshot flipped Snart's hand and quickly injected something, causing the master thief to yank his hand back and jerk away, moving into a defensive stance.

"What did you just do?" Snart growled lowly, while everyone stared at the hitman with shock and unease.

Deadshot ignored him, turning to essentially his "partner." Barry fidgeted, but Deadshot handed her the injector.

"It's a precaution," Deadshot informed her. "Waller's stipulation. I and the others in the Suicide Squad," the name made the others balk, "have bombs attached to our spines. Used to be in our necks, but then mine's was cut out at one point and Waller made the decision to relocate them around our spines." The bomb thing made everyone look at him incredulously and uncomfortably.

But Deadshot wasn't done. "Snart –and the future members you pick –has been injected with a nanobite virus that is set to spread poison through the body and kill him through a remote activation."

Now that caused Cold to snarl and start to march towards Deadshot, only for Barry to slip into the spot beside him and stop him. Harrison noted it with narrowed eyes, especially since Cold actually did stop at her behest.

"Caitlin and Cisco, and even Dr. Wells, will take a sample and I'm sure they'll be able to find a cure. I'm confident they can," Barry flashed a supportive grin towards those three she mentioned. Harrison could only smile back, though his mind was quickly flipping through the consequences of this situation they were in. She looked back to Deadshot. "You don't have to tell Waller everything, do you?"

"Nope," Deadshot smirked. "I just have to report. And I've got no lost love with her, so I don't really care to tell her shit."

Still feeling dissatisfied, Snart backed down when Barry held his arm back. His sister joined him on his other side.

"I guess I'm in too?" Lisa held out her arm. "I suppose if this Waller woman finds out I'm in the group and not got the virus thing, Barry and you will be in trouble."

"Barry will be in trouble.  _I_ might be blown up," Deadshot said matter of fact. "You'll have to wait on it, or simply say you were injected too, 'cause I don't got anymore. They might check Snart, but they'll pass on you if your brother's positive on it."

"Are you sure?" Barry furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't want you to, uh…get blown up," she finished lamely, flinching at that.

Deadshot grinned viciously. "Hazards of the job. Anyway, we'll have to risk it. I really only received that one dose, because you sprung Snart's recruitment on us and no one had really expected you to find someone quickly. Waller passes on her approval, though she says she would've preferred a meta right off the bat."

"I've got someone in mind that could be fit in," Cold said. Harrison eyed him, having a feeling he knew who the man was talking about. "Mick Rory. Worked with him a lot before we had an argument and split up, but he's a good partner. When he focuses, that is. He's a complete pyromaniac, with his fascination with fire being his downfall of sorts."

"He's not a meta, like you, right?" Deadshot interrupted.

Snart glared at him coolly. "I'm not, but I'm not sure if he's recently acquired any powers of note. We haven't been in touch, though I fully know where he's hiding out."

Deadshot hummed. "You two will –and your sister, while we're at it –need some sort of weapons to fight against the likes of people who've got powers and all. Any input, STAR Labs folks?"

"We don't do weapons here," Caitlin said shortly, her face stoic.

Harrison kept quiet, though he did briefly look to Cisco, who was fidgeting.

"I might have something," Cisco reluctantly said. "I was working on something just earlier that I was just going to scrap, because it was unneeded, but…" he glanced at Barry, looking uncomfortable. She was only looking back in curiosity. "It was supposed to be a gun that shot out cold energy, something that could…be used to stop Barry," he reluctantly admitted.

At that, Barry looked conflicted. Cisco hurried to continue.

"It was just a failsafe, just in case you went and became a psycho, like all the other metas that look like they have been up to causing problems around the city," Cisco unhappily explained. "But then I thought again and decided there's just no way, and with Caitlin thinking it too, I just thought it would be better to scrap the plans and not continue on."

Barry gave him a small smile. "I understand. Precautions had to be done and I'm glad you told me now, instead of me finding out later, especially after we've definitely become closer and more trust would have been built by then. I think I prefer you telling me now. If you had kept this from me, I think I would have been more upset that you'd kept it from me at all, especially after we've really gotten closer by then and we would have really gotten to know each other. Versus the fact that you had come up with and made the weapon against me, I think that would hurt more."

Harrison remembered that alright. Last time, she'd been upset and angry that Cisco had thought of and even made the weapon, but she had understood the reasons why and had let that part go. What had gotten to her though, was that even after all that time after, after all the trust and getting closer and becoming friends, it had still been kept from her. And then there was that her ignorance of the weapon had caused a man to die on her watch.

"Can you make a hot end counter to that gun?" Deadshot asked Cisco.

"If you mean something like a flamethrower, like yeah. Sure I can," Cisco shrugged.

And so Captain Cold and Heatwave get born again into the world, despite that this timeline they wouldn't have since Cisco had decided against the creation of the Cold Gun. Then again, it seemed one way or another, their personas got created anyway.

Some things were just inevitable, and Harrison hated that.

"Berrykins, ready to head over and meet Mick?" Snart asked Barry.

The nickname made Harrison inwardly cringe. What was Cold doing, calling Barry something so personal like that? When and how, is what he further wanted to know as well.

"Ugh, why does everyone enjoy all these puns on my name?" Barry grumbled.

Snart snickered at her. "You didn't complain when I gave you the nickname."

"I was eleven and focused on talking to you, and remembered that I was there to break my dad out of prison."

Harrison really needed to find out everything that he could, as fast as he could.

* * *

Barry had picked up Len, who was also disgruntled about it (first Deadshot and now him. What was it about guys and being picked up by her? How else was she going to transport them?). She remembered Len's directions and was quick to speed all the way to the location, even going a bit faster than she would normally. She didn't even stop outside, bursting instead through the doors and startling the man inside. Once inside, she abruptly stopped and put Len down. Although, due to her speed, her normal clothes had caught on fire, as well as Len's. She helped pat his down, while getting rid of the sparks of fire on her clothing too.

When she looked up to see Mick Rory and see what he looked like, she instead found him staring at her in awe, eyes bright and almost feverish. She hesitantly waved hello.

"Er, Len?" she prodded Len.

But before he could, Mick blurted out. "You were on fire."

Barry looked at him in surprise. "Yes, I suppose so. I mean, it's not like I can spontaneously combust into fire or anything. I just went so fast that our clothing caught fire, is all."

That didn't seem to really matter much to Mick, or change his awed look.

Len snorted to her side. "I think he's infatuated," he muttered in amusement.

At her annoyed look, Len stifled his chuckle and made Mick focus on him, heading over to the man and bringing him to the side. He patiently and in full detail explained what was happening, what they were offering, and likely what Mick would do. He also made sure not to leave out the stupid injection thing, but Mick actually didn't seem too bothered by it.

Mick grunted. "Sounds interesting alright. I get to fire it up a lot?" At his nod and answer of "Probably," Mick grinned a little more. And then he glanced over at a bored Barry, who had taken to rocking on the balls of her feet, and he gained a strange flush to his face. Len twitched and almost glared at the other, although he settled for a scowl and a snap of his fingers in front of Mick's face.

"Focus. You in?"

Mick's eyes darted over to Barry again. "We working with her?"

"More or less  _for_  her, but yeah. With her too," Len answered in exasperation, though he felt like glowering at the pyromaniac. Still, a tinge of overprotectiveness and even possessiveness gripped him for a second, before he pushed those feelings down.

"I'll join," Mick agreed gruffly. "If we're facing tougher opponents, I can throw around fire more."

"Yeah, fine. Her team's already working on a flamethrower gun for you anyway," Len gestured at Barry.

Mick perked up and almost seemed giddy at that, but as he glanced at Barry again, that strange flush appeared once more. It was… _weird_. To be honest, Len had never seen Mick act like this. Ever. It was weird and strange, and completely uncharacteristic of the man. Mick then darted his eyes from Len to Barry.

"You, uh, going to introduce me, Len?"

Len hid the roll of his eyes, leading the way to her. She noticed them coming and straightened up, focusing on them intently.

"Barry, this is Mick Rory, a former heist partner. He's in for your team. Mick, this is Barry Allen –that girl I told you about back then."

Mick glanced between them in surprise. "Wait, she that girl who broke into Iron Heights to free her dad? That cute brat you met and promised you all that crap about being friends forever and monsters under beds and shit? And the silly job offer?"

Both Barry and even Len turned red, with Len glaring at Mick irritably. One, Barry was embarrassed she was remembered like that, and that Len had actually talked about her to others, aside from his sister. And Len didn't appreciate all that being blasted out into the open.

Mick barked out a laugh. "Seems like she grew even cuter with age, Len! 'Lo, Berrykins! Good to be working with you," he grinned wildly.

Barry, even more red, held out her hand. He shook it enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you."

And that was how that meeting went. Luckily, as smooth as possible.

"We're bringing him to the lab?" Len asked Barry. At her nod, he turned to Mick and explained to him where they were going and that it was likely going to be their place of residence for a long while.

"Are you going to bring us there?" Mick asked Barry, creepy in how shy and hopeful he sounded.

Barry was startled at the question, but nodded. "Yeah. It's faster that way."

"Can you get me to catch on fire?"

"…I guess. If your clothes aren't flame retardant."

Mick was back to grinning and had told them to wait a sec as he changed. Barry and Len waited around uncomfortably, exchanging awkward glances.

"He means well. He's just…a little obsessed with fire."

Barry coughed.

"I can…see that."

* * *

By the time they reached STAR Labs, with first Len being transported and then Mick quickly after, the first thing they heard was –

"' _Cause you're hot and you're cold, you're yes and you're no –"_

Barry stifled a giggle, but the men still heard it, giving her –what they would never admit to –a rather pouty look.

"Well, now that's timing," Barry laughed outright. "What are the chances that we'd come back, at the same time as Cisco playing Katy Perry's  _Hot N' Cold_? That's coincidence at its best."

Grumbling, they pushed past the giggling female and entered into the Cortex, where Cisco was finishing up his work.

"I'm hoping you got things done in our absence?" Len muttered unhappily, eying the computer's speakers.

Cisco jumped and looked at them guiltily, not-so-subtly reaching out to lower the volume. The song was on repeat for God's sake!

"I got the Cold Gun specs finished, and since it's done, I'm using it as a mirror for the Heat Gun and which means I can be finished quickly with it," Cisco answered hurriedly.

Barry watched Len and Mick both nod satisfactorily, unconsciously shifting their bodies and into mirrored positions opposite of the other, and even posturing into intimidating poses. Then they both turned their heads towards her, with Len's signature smirk and Mick's matching grin.

"Looks like your team's coming along," Len drawled.

Mick gave her a mock salute.

From behind them, Cisco whistled. "Yeah! Now we've got Captain Cold and Heatwave to mix things up!"

Both men glanced back approvingly. "Good names, kid. We can work with those," Len acknowledged him.

And Barry stared at them, feeling oddly like this was right. She also couldn't help but notice just how  _cool_  the two of them looked, and imagining them with their new names made the image even cooler.

Somehow she could imagine them with their superguns in hand, wearing their usual outfits, and really cutting intimidating figures to face against.

Started 7/27/15 – Completed 8/5/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like the whole group's coming together (snickers). And for some reason, I'm oddly fond of Mick, the poor guy. Anyway, this means fun times ahead! I hope everyone enjoyed! Please leave a review!
> 
> Quick Points:
> 
> 1\. Eminem!Len: No, seriously. It may be a joke in here, but when I was searching for a song to listen to while writing the beginning, I went with Eminem and listened to "Cleaning Out My Closet", and I swear I was hearing Len's. It's practically Len's life XD
> 
> 2\. The Eobard Chronicles/When Harry Met Barry: Just a reminder that "The Eobard Chronicles" (the side-fic to this) and "When Harry Met Barry" (a collection of one-shots, etc. about fem!Barry and the original Harrison Wells) are posted up, if anyone's curious to read them. It'll be much appreciated!


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